


Casting Stones

by orphan_account



Series: For the Boy [1]
Category: Gundam Wing, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Adoption, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, Disturbing Content, Domestic arguing, Dreams and Nightmares, F/M, Gen, Lots of disturbing content, M/M, Multi, Past Child Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Psychological Trauma, Sequel, Therapy, Unhealthy Relationships, Unstable Characters
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-04-20
Updated: 2015-02-11
Packaged: 2018-03-11 11:34:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 24
Words: 65,021
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3325961
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>(Please read "For the Boy" first, link found inside) </p><p>"I don't want to know. Please... I just want to be David." When things seem to finally be going right, someone throws a wrench in to upset the balance again. The blame falls on Bill Weasley. Sequel to For the Boy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. What is Wanted, What is Not

**Author's Note:**

> This is the sequel to [For the Boy](https://www.fanfiction.net/s/7361187/1/For-the-Boy) which is located on fanfiction.net. I was uploading it here until my friend borrowed my flashdrive and erased all my documents on it. So, now that all the edited work is gone, my motivation to redo it all is gone. So make sure to read that first, because this will make no sense otherwise. Thanks again, as always, to Ro for doing the editing work and being the cheerleader in the background.

I can hear them yelling. Well, Duo's yelling, William is babbling, Quatre's trying to get Duo to  _stop_  yelling, and I don't hear Trowa at all. I'm hiding under the bed, my eyes watching the small strip of carpet, wall, and door that is visible. Something crashes out in the main room and I curl up tighter, a tight pain in my chest. It gets dark and the loud noises end, but not all the noise. The latch to my door makes a sound as it opens, and footsteps make a soft pat-pat noise as familiar shoes come to stand in front of my face. I then see knees as the feet slide backwards, a soft 'thump' sounding when the knees connect with the carpet.

Trowa's face is soon looking into my own, his calm green eyes watching me silently. Shortly after, he is lying on his side, just watching me watch him. I whimper, wanting to reach out to him, to curl up against him, but he's out  _there_  and that is where the shouting was. I'm not going out there!

"David," Trowa says quietly, gently, and I can't make words. I keen, reaching a hand out to touch him, but hesitate when I reach the edge of safe and unsafe. My fingers curl back, my hand dropping limply to the soft floor. Trowa doesn't hesitate to reach his own hand out and curl it around mine. I keen again, turning my hand to grip the one holding mine.

"Will you come out?" Trowa asks me, and I shake my head. Duo is yelling again, still out in the main room. I flinch, but Trowa just squeezes my hand before letting go. He isn't leaving though, I can see. He flattens himself and scoots under the bed with me, coming to rest beside me. I don't waste any time in moving closer to him, pressing against his warmth and safety.

I might not be able to go to him, but Trowa always comes to me.

* * *

Trowa and I stay under the bed for most of the day. I sleep a little, but when Duo gets loud again, I wake up. Trowa never leaves me for a moment, even when his stomach makes hungry noises.

Quatre and William stay for a long time, talking with Duo. I don't really hear what they are saying; I don't  _want_ to hear what they are saying. Whatever it is makes Duo yell, and I don't want to know what it is that makes him so mad.

Trowa will hum when Duo gets too loud, and it helps me stay calm. I stay pressed against him, keeping him between me and the unsafe world outside my bed. Trowa never says anything, never asks me if I want to go out, because he already knows I don't. Trowa's smart like that; he always knows what I want and what I don't want. And I don't want to move right now, so we both stay here. I want to tell him he can leave, because he has to be uncomfy; he's much too big to fit under here like I do, but every time I go to say it, I can't. The words don't come, so I never tell him to go get comfy.

I must have fallen asleep again, because soon I hear Trowa talking softly, and Duo is talking back. He isn't yelling anymore, and is much closer than before. I can't understand them though, they're speaking the funny language that they use when they don't want me to know what they are talking about. I nuzzle my head into Trowa's side and they go quiet.

"David, are you awake?" Trowa asks, and I nudge him again.

"Yeah," I whisper, shifting. I have been lying on my arm for a long time and it's tingly now as I roll off of it.

"I'm sorry Davvy, will you come out?" Duo asks, and I tighten my grip on Trowa.

"David, we have some things to talk about, let's move out from under the bed now." Trowa's firm voice has me moving, and it takes all my will to not slide back under once I am out. Trowa stays sitting on the floor, and I crawl into the gap in his legs, letting his arms wrap around me securely as Duo sits down on the floor with us. He looks tired, and I wonder how long it has been since Quatre and William first came over. I can't see the window from where I am sitting with Trowa, so I don't know if it's dark outside or not.

"I'm sorry I yelled, little man, I was upset that Quatre's friend kept information from us that could have helped us a long time ago," Duo says, and I tilt my head. I don't understand what he means, so I look up at Trowa. Does Trowa know what Duo is talking about?

"William Weasley knew your parents, from what little I heard," Trowa says, and I feel my heart clench.

My parents are people who never existed. I don't know who they were, or why they left me with Aunt and Uncle. Aunt and Uncle had never spoken of them, and whenever Uncle's sister came over Uncle would put me out in the back shed to be out of her sight. I never thought much about them, to be honest. They just... don't exist. Trowa's the closest to a parent I ever want to know, and I don't want anyone else. Ever.

"I didn't stay long enough to hear much," Trowa continues, his hand running through my lengthening hair. I haven't decided if I want to cut it or not, so I've been letting it grow until I decide. "Do you want to know about them?"

"No," I say, leaning against Trowa. "No. They aren't real. Trowa is real. They not."

"Davvy, he also had other things to say. Like what- what they called you when you were born. When you were born, and what happened to make you not live with them anymore," Duo says, his voice real quiet. I look into his strangely coloured eyes, which are looking back into my own. I feel my throat tightening. I don't want to know this! I  _don't_  want to know!

"No!" I whimper, pressing back into Trowa. "No! I no wanna know!"

"Calm down, David," Trowa whispers, his hand pressing firmly against my chest, rubbing near my throat. I gasp, the air helping me think clearer. I am Trowa's now. Trowa will keep me safe from this, from what Duo wants me to know. From the people who don't exist. From the world.

"I don't want to know. Please, I don't. I want to be David," I say to Duo, keeping my head bowed. My hands grip each other tightly, the sweat making them feel slippery. "Just David."

"Okay buddy, I'll keep it to myself for now. Just... Just let me know when you want to hear it, 'kay?" He sounds sad, but I don't care. Trowa might like him a lot, but I don't. I can't.

"Fine," I reply, letting my head fall against Trowa's leg. Trowa is the only person I can trust; Duo can't be trusted, no matter how much Trowa thinks he can.

* * *

I've been avoiding Duo. I know he says he won't tell me what William told him about my parents (I have a hard time  _thinking_ it, let alone believing it), but I'm afraid he'll try to tell me anyways. Duo's been going over to Heero's house a lot too, since he learned about  _them_. I think he's trying to find them or something. Maybe this is his way of getting Trowa all to himself. I don't know, I don't  _want_  to know. I'm happy with how things are; or were, as it doesn't feel the same now.

Wufei is the only one who doesn't seem to want to tell me new and scary things. Well, Trowa doesn't either, but that is because Trowa knows what I want, and I don't want to know. So he doesn't say anything. But Wufei never talks about  _that_ ; he just helps me take care of my plants and learn things.

But I've mostly been spending time with Trowa. We go out a lot, to parks and stores and large buildings where Trowa gets things and I play. I never play with the other kids, because they're dumb. They make a lot of noise, and always want to be the winner. I just sit in the sand and draw pictures, and make little houses in the grains.

The more that I avoid thinking about  _it_ , the more curious I become.  _Are_  they alive? Did  _they_ leave me with Aunt and Uncle on purpose, knowing what would happen? Did... did  _they_ want me? Did  _they_ give me a name, like... like Duo and Trowa did? And the more I think about it, the worse I feel about being mean to Duo. He's the one who gave me a name, after all. A  _real_  name, one that I could call my own. He gave up his old job across the ocean to come help me, and I was so mean to him.

As Trowa helps me wash my hands in the bathroom, I lean back against him, making a low whining noise in my throat. Trowa hums and I open my mouth, trying to find the right words.

"I... I want to know. I want to say sorry. I want... I want to talk with Duo."

"I know," he says, and I relax. Of course Trowa knows. He knows everything. Trowa will make everything better.


	2. To Forgive

I settle down in my favourite corner, deciding that today I want to play with the logs. I can build houses with them, and I start stacking the little wooden logs. Nick is sitting on one of the squishy bag-seats with his notepad. He uses it to help him remember what we talk about.

"How are you today, David?" Nick asks me, and I shrug. I don't know, really. Nothing makes sense anymore.

"I... I am confused. I don't know who I am anymore. Who I  _should_  be."

"Can you explain that for me?" Nick wants me to talk. He says it's bad to keep it all inside me, that it makes me sick if I do that for a long time.

"Trowa and Duo gave me my name, the first name I knew for myself. David Daniel Barton...  _She_ and Uncle called me Boy. In my dreams I am Tom and Mylord. But... But my first parents gave me a different name. And... I don't know. I don't want that name. I just want to stay David..."

"Is that because of Trowa? You don't want to give up the name he gave you?"

"Trowa's my  _real_  Dad!" I shout. I curl up, and wrap my arms around my knees and hold them tightly.

" _Trowa_  is real, the... the people who gave birth to me are  _not_  real. They... they..."

"David," Nick says, and I look up at him. The water in my eyes makes him very distorted, and I blink to make the tears fall down.

"You have a very special chance that most kids don't. You get to  _choose_  what other people call you. You don't have to stop being David Barton if you don't want to. If you wanted to use the name your birth parents gave you, I don't think Trowa would be sad. If you don't want to use it, he won't be sad either. Trowa wants you to be happy, and whatever you choose that makes you happy, will make him happy too. Do you understand?"

"So... so if I don't want to be Harry... He will be okay with that?"

"Why don't you ask him? Have you asked what he thinks?"

I look down. I didn't ask. I just got mad and yelled at Duo. Guilt burns my stomach as I think of how mean I was. Duo was giving me a choice, and I hurt him for it.

"They... my birth parents... they died. Is that why I lived with A-A- _her_?"

"That might be what happened. We don't know, David, so a lot of the questions that we want to know the answer to might never  _be_ answered."

"Oh."

"You are who you want to be, David, and that is all that matters."

* * *

"Okay, move them carefully to the back table and I will have them ready for us to finish next class. Don't forget to take your finished one home!" Miss Clara says loudly over the chatter in the room. I help Duo carry his back, and after, he helps me carry mine. We wash our hands and arms in the bathroom before going to get our finished pots.

I haven't said anything to Duo since he told me about my first parents. I wasn't sure how to say I was sorry, at least until this morning when we came to class. Miss Clara was waiting for us by the table that had all of the finished pots on them with a big smile on her face.

"So I heard the adoption is finalized, are you happy?" Miss Clara asks me. I give her a smile and nod, letting my hand find Duo's and grip it.

He squeezes mine back and says, "We are all glad to not have to wait anymore."

"Well, it's a little late, but I made you all a present to celebrate." Her arms, which were behind her back, come into view with a small, wrapped box in her hands. I stare at it for a little until Duo nudges me, which helps me remember I'm supposed to  _take_  it from her. When it's in my hands, I just stare at it again.

"Wait until you get home to open it, okay? Now I won't keep you any longer, I just wanted to say congrats and good luck!" Miss Clara moves away, and I pick up my pot. I had it glossed in an emerald green, and with it all done, it looks very shiny and bright. I hand it to Duo, who gives me a grin.

"Oh, am I to carry it for you?" he teases, and I shake my head, blushing.

"It's for you. I... I sorry."

I clutch Miss Clara's present to my chest tighter as I dash out the front door, embarrassed. When Duo comes to stand next to me, he messes up my hair before giving me a hug.

"I forgive you, little man. I know it was hard to learn... I mean, I yelled at Bill and Quatre for quite a while because I was mad that they hid it from us. Sometimes we learn things we don't want to, right?"

"Yeah. I... I talked with Nick. I'm still David. And it's okay to be David still."

"Well, David, Harry, or whatever you want to call yourself, you're ours and we won't give you up because you decided to have everyone call you Mr. Bubbles or somethin'."

I giggle, pushing Duo. "I don't want to be Mr. Bubbles, you made that up!"

"No!" Duo cries, pointing at me, "I am pretty sure I heard you say you wanted to be Mr. Bubbles, I swear!"

"Liar!" I shout, running ahead. Duo shouts something back, following me.

I can't stop smiling. I feel happy.

* * *

"So what's the gift on the table?" Trowa asks me. I shrug, rubbing my head with the towel.

"Miss Clara gave it to us. Duo says it's a con-grachu-lay-tuns present," I tell him, and he hums softly. It's a happy hum, I can feel it.

When I finish getting my pajamas on we go out to the table where I left the gift. Duo is already sitting there, bouncing in his seat.

"Can we open it now? Please, please?" I smile, and pretend to think.

" _Please_ , Davvy,  _please?_ " I nod, giggling. I can see Trowa smiling lightly as well as he watches us.

"You open it," I tell Duo, and he grins, picking up the box. He pulls the paper off with a loud ripping sound, and a plain black box comes into view. I stretch up higher to see it, and Duo lowers it down as he opens the lid. Inside is a small wooden block, like a really thin rectangle, with squiggly writing on it.

"Oh," Duo's eyes are wide, and he lifts the wood out of the box and turns to show Trowa. Trowa's eyes look over it quickly, his eyes widening as well. I frown, confused.

"What does it say?"

"It says 'Neither giants nor lions can break the bonds.' I think she made this for you, David," Duo says quietly, and I look at it. It looks like the squiggly words are burned in the wood, and I think it looks really pretty.

"I don't get it, but it's pretty," I tell them, and Trowa chuckles, rubbing the top of my head. Duo laughs loudly, handing me the wooden rectangle.

"I took your name from two stories in the bible, and Clara knew that. The giant is from the story 'David and Goliath' and the lion is 'Daniel and the Lion's Den.' I'll tell you the stories later, 'kay bud?"

"Okay," I say, tracing a finger over the letters. I can't read them, but I still like looking at them.

* * *

_It is dark outside, the moon barely a sliver in the sky, and the clouds hiding any stars that could give light. I sit by the lake, throwing rocks in the water and thinking._

_I had been so excited to come to Hogwarts, not having to be at the orphanage anymore, learning_ magic _. But it isn't all I had dreamed it would be. The professors are dumb, and talk to me like I'm stupid. If I smile and flatter them, they believe that I like them too. I hate them all._

_My roommates are mean to me, though. I can't wait until I'm big enough to do something, to be more than a little 'cry-baby' like the other boys in Slytherin call me._

_I'll show them. They'll regret it, and bow down at my feet for forgiveness._


	3. The Game of Choice

I'm curled up on the sofa, reading the book Wufei said I had to. He says it's my homework, like Dudders used to bring home. Wufei doesn't let me ask Duo or Trowa for the answers when I have to write things, like Dudders would ask Aunt; I can ask for help finding the answer though. I don't know what's different about this, so I just don't ask.

Duo is over at Heero's again. I don't know why, but Trowa does. I know this because whenever Duo comes back from Heero's house, Trowa asks Duo if they had any luck. Duo always answers that they're getting closer. I am curious, but I know better than to ask. If I was supposed to know, they would tell me.

A hand runs through my hair, and I hear a light humming as I look up into the calm face of Trowa. He moves around the sofa to sit down, and I move to press myself against his side.

"Read to me?" Trowa asks, and I nod, looking down at my book again.

"The King couldn't refuse his only daughter…" I read, holding the book so that Trowa can see the pictures. Back before the letters made sense, I would just look at the pictures and make up a story from them. I find the books much more fun now that I can read what is written on the pages. I still think the pictures are pretty though.

When I finish the book, Trowa takes it and sets it on the coffee table. He shifts to the side, and knowing what he wants, I scoot so that his legs can come up onto the cushion I'm sitting on. I move so that I am lying down as well, my head resting on his stomach. I can hear the noises that mean he's alive, and I close my eyes, just listening to us breathing. This is my favourite part of reading with Trowa.

* * *

" _I'm not crazy. I really can do these things."_

" _I know, Tom."_

" _Why are you here?"_

" _I teach at a school for children like you. A special school."_

" _I don't believe you."_

* * *

"He looks so cute like that," I hear Duo say quietly, and I feel Trowa's laugh from under my head. I blink open sleepy eyes to come nose-to-nose with Duo's wide-eyed stare. I squeak, jumping away from the too-close (and now laughing) face, and almost fall off the sofa if it wasn't for Trowa's steadying arm.

"Have a nice nap?" Duo asks me, and I can see he's sitting on the floor. A  _satchel_  (that's what Wufei says the flappy-bag is called) is resting next to him, and I can see a pile of papers squished into a book sticking out a little.

"Mmm…" I answer, still too sleepy to make words. Talking isn't as hard as it was when I first started, but it still takes too much thinking to do right, and I'm too sleepy to even try. Trowa laughs quietly again, and I feel it more in the movement under my head than hearing it in my ears.

"Did you have good dreams?" Duo asks me, his hand brushing the hair away from my face. Trowa's hand joins him, pushing the strands behind my ear to stop them from falling back down before finding Duo's hand and holding it. They do this a lot, so I just ignore it. Heero and Relena do it a lot too when they're over, so it must just be a grown-up thing.

"Jus' Tom…" I mutter after a moment, making my mouth form the words. I slur it a little though, and wrinkle my nose. I  _hate_  talking. Why can't people just… not talk?

"Was Tom being scary?" Trowa questions, and I shake my head. No, Tom isn't very scary. Sometimes scary things happen to Tom, but Mylord is much scarier.

"You're still dreaming of him?" Duo asks, and I just stare at him. It takes a few moments to form the words, but when they come out they're very annoyed.

"I  _always_  dream of him. Him and Mylord. I don't have dreams of anyone else." Duo looks up at Trowa with a look I don't understand. I don't understand a lot of things though, so it doesn't bother me. Trowa just runs a hand down my cheek, and I lean back into him, closing my eyes.

When Duo and Trowa talk to me like this, I feel like I'm talking to Nick. It's annoying. I'd rather just lay down with them and not say anything.

* * *

"People need to talk, it's how we understand each other," Nick says, and I just give a snort. Wufei says it's a bad habit Duo gave me, but I've seen Wufei do it too so I ignore him. If Trowa ever tells me to stop doing it, I will.

"It dumb. Talking's hard, and take lotta time. It easier to just make noise, Trowa knows what I want anyways," I tell Nick, drawing on the large sheet of paper. I'm trying to draw the lake I saw Tom sitting at, next to the pretty castle. I see the castle a lot in Tom dreams, when he's at the 'special magic school.'

"It's only hard because you're still not used to talking. In a healthy house, children learn to talk when they are very small. You missed a lot of years when talking could have been made much easier for you to do. The 'noises' you make are more familiar, which is why they're easier for you. There are not many people who can understand other people without using words."

"Then how can Trowa?" I say, feeling annoyed. I can see Nick's nose wrinkle before he sighs.

"People communicate through body language too, which when used with words can make things easier to understand. When you curl your legs to your chest, it tells others that you are nervous or uncomfortable. Other people move their arms a lot when they're excited—"

"Like Duo!" I interrupt, and Nick smiles.

"Yes, like Duo does. Not many people stay perfectly still when talking. Your body can give little clues into how you are feeling inside. I went to school to learn how to see those clues, which help me know when we are talking what topics make you happy, what makes you scared, and what makes you angry."

"Oh. Can I just talk with my body then?" I ask him, and he laughs, shaking his head.

"I told you I had to go to school to learn how to know body language better. Not many people learn to read it, and it can be mistaken if you don't say anything out loud. Someone might hear you wrong and think you are saying something else if you don't use real words."

"Oh. That sucks."

Nick laughs again, setting his notebook down. I see some of the odd scribbles on his book, like the ones on the wooden  _plaque_  (Wufei told me it was called that) Miss Clara gave us. I point at the scribbles, and ask him, "What is that writing called? I can't read it, but Duo and Trowa can."

"That is English, but written in a style called  _cursive_. It's just a fancy way to write the letters you are learning to read."

"So it's not a weird language? Duo and Trowa speak in funny-sounding languages when they want to say things I can't know about."

"Does that upset you?"

"No," I say firmly. "If they don't want me to know, then why should I ask? It's not my… place?... to say what they tell me or not."

"Do you think they're hiding things from you?"

"Yes. That is what adults are supposed to do. I'm not smart enough to know things. Trowa tells me what I need to know, everything else doesn't matter."

Nick doesn't say anything, just makes a low noise in his throat. I put down the black crayon and pick up the dark blue one to start colouring in the lake. I make sure to leave a spot for the rock near the grass.

"Do Trowa and Duo make all the decisions for you, or do you get to choose things you want?"

"I get to make choices," I say, looking up at Nick. His face reminds me of Heero when he's thinking hard, so I look down at the sheet of paper again. "I wish they would just choose everything though. A— _S_ _he_  would play a mean game with me, and I know Trowa won't play it but I… sometimes I'm scared Duo might."

"What game would your Aunt play?"

"I made up the name for it, 'Boy Chooses.' She ask me what I want… and no matter what I answer I made wrong choice… She laugh at me, and say mean thing or… or do mean thing… and I  _hate_  choosing because always  _wrong_  and just better when Trowa or Duo say I  _have_  to do because I know it  _right_  thing!"

"What things would she ask if you wanted?"

"If I… I wanted to eat.  _What_  I want to eat. Want to go outside. Want to do chore. Watch telly. Want bed. Not be in cubby... Want hug…" I feel my chest hurting, my eyes burning, and my nose getting all gross. I know I'm crying now, but I don't want to stop saying this. Nick is asking me, and Trowa says he can make my hurts go away, even the ones that I can't see. And this hurts  _so much_ , I want to make it just  _go away_.

"I like commands, orders, rules. I like to know what I have to do, what I can't do, what right, what wrong, how to do it. Too many choices… No want to be wrong. Wrong is bad. Bad, bad, bad…"

"David, you need to breathe," I hear Nick tell me, and I take a deep breath, which makes the pain in my chest lessen.

"Do you want me to get Trowa?" Nick asks me gently, his hand hovering over my shoulder. He never touches me, and that makes me feel safer than if he did. I nod, curling my legs into my chest and hiding my face. I hear Nick talking, but I'm not listening, instead just making sure I am breathing. I don't stop breathing like I did before if I think about it hard enough. I hear the door open, and a low, soft hum as arms pick me up and set me into a warm, familiar lap. Trowa's here. Everything can be better now.

"David, can I tell Trowa what we are talking about? I will only tell him what you say I can, do you understand?"

"Mmm…" I moan, nodding my head. I don't care, Nick can tell Trowa anything. He's an adult; he can do things like that. I'm not, so I can't. I listen as Nick talks to Trowa, telling him what I was saying to Nick, but with weirder words mixed in. Words I don't understand, but sound familiar to me. I hear Wufei use them with Duo and Trowa, and sometimes Quatre. Wufei's really smart though, so Nick must be really smart too. I hear Trowa use some of the same words, and some other funny words too; I already know Trowa's smart though, so it isn't as strange to hear him say these things.

I just listen to the  _thub-thub_  of Trowa's heart, feeling tired. I don't feel sick though, and I'm happy about that. Maybe Duo is right about telling Nick things. I feel better. Nick's a good doctor person.


	4. Stage 1

Duo couldn't stop grinning. This was what he'd been waiting for, searching the last several months to find; and stage one was set to begin. Heero was driving the jeep, the one stipulation Trowa had set on this 'road trip,' which told Duo that Trowa had never ridden shotgun with Heero before. He drove worse than Duo in most situations.

"So what's the address?" Heero asked Duo, and Duo promptly gave his answer. Duo had been the one to find the information on David's relatives, and so he was the one who was giving the directions. As they were taking a road trip Duo had to be obstinate, so they were now driving through Liverpool, lost in a little suburbia homestead and looking for an address that Duo had not, until that moment, cared to share with his 'copilot.'

"And it's just the uncle who lives here?" Heero asked, wanting to confirm the data. At Duo's silent nod, Heero parked the jeep and got out. Duo moved quickly, pulling on his (barely worn) jacket that showed he was a CPS worker under the Preventer Corps. Heero was wearing a light blue jacket; it was not Preventer issued, but it matched close enough to hold up to a casual glance. The whole mission was based on intimidation and the quickest tongue, and those were two areas Duo felt he excelled in.

Rapping his knuckles briskly on the plyboard door, Duo made sure his posture wasn't relaxed by any means. His braid was tucked down the back of his jacket, the tail end brushing his skin irritating, but easily ignorable. The damn  _hat_  however, was much more annoying. They were so tacky-

The door opened, cutting off Duo's mental rant. A large man stood on the other side, watery blue eyes squinting down at them hesitantly. They glanced over the logo stitched on Duo's shoulder, and his face paled as he started to realize the two were not going to make this pleasant.

"Mr. Vernon Eustace Dursley?" Duo asked sharply, getting a shaky nod in return.

"My name is Agent Maxwell with the Preventer Corps Division of Child Protection, and next to me is my partner Yuy. We have some questions in regard to a child who had, until recently, been in the care of you and your ex-wife, Petunia Dursley nee Evans. May we step inside, or shall we conduct business on your stoop?"

Vernon nodded hastily, muttering a frantic "come in, come in" as he turned to step inside the townhouse. As they walked inside, Duo heard Heero mutter a near-silent question.

"'Stoop,' really Duo?"

"Hey," Duo whispered back, "I read it in a book."

"Don't fuck this up," Heero snapped back, making sure his voice didn't carry to the ears of the resident. "We're already walking a  _very_  fine line."

"I won't, I won't," Duo snapped back just as quietly. "I know what I'm doin'."

"Can I get you anything to drink?" the man stuttered, and Duo shook his head, taking a seat on the single loveseat in the sitting room. Heero sat next to him, Vernon Dursley claiming a large portion of the matching sofa. The design of the fabric was rather feminine, leading Duo to assume that it was a part of what he had won in the divorce. The records showed that it had only finalized a few weeks ago, custody of their son being given to the mother. But it wasn't the time to get lost in thought, so Duo started in on business.

"Mr. Dursley, did you, until November 9 of last year, have a young boy named Harry J. Potter in your family's care?"

Vernon's mouth opened and closed silently, his face changing colours rapidly. He seemed to go from pale, to flushed, to pale again. If time had allowed for it, Duo would have sat back and waited to see how long it took for  _something_  to happen, but they had a deadline.

"I would suggest giving a simple 'Yes' or 'No' answer, Mr. Dursley. You're already in over your head, let's not make it worse," Heero said neutrally, and the man collected himself visibly.

"Yes."

"Did he leave your household on the date specified?" Duo continued, jotting down words on his little notebook. It was to give the impression that this was an authorized visit, that Vernon's answers held weight; the truth was he was writing down impressions the man gave. The words would remain within Duo's mind until he wrote a report later. He was just hoping Une would overlook the lack of permission to approach and 'handle' the man the way they were.

"Yes."

"Was the child in your care that day?" Heero asked, and Duo figured out quickly they were going to tag-team the man, keep him answering swiftly. The less time he had to think, the more likely they'd find out what they wanted to know.

"Yes."

"Can you name where each member of your household was on November 9th?" Duo asked, and the man hesitated. Heero cleared his throat, looking surreptitiously at his watch.

"Petunia and Dudley were on a cruise in the Caribbean, and Harry and I were at home," Vernon answered, his tone bitter. Duo and Heero shared a glance, more to try to affect the man across from them; they weren't surprised, they could see where this was heading already.

"So he vanished while in your care," Heero remarked, not even bothering to try to inflict it as a question.

"Yes."

"And you know how it happened," Duo said, his pen making messy loops in a mockery of cursive. That reminded him to ask Wufei to teach David to read that; the plaque was written in a rather beautiful script of it...

"...Yes." That answer had been slower in coming, more resigned. Good, they were all on the same page now; no more games.

"Can you explain it for me, Mr. Dursley?" Duo asked coldly, holding his pen ready in a show of being willing to quote him word-for-word. Vernon's face was changing colours again (Duo had to wonder if that was healthy or not. He'd never seen such a visibly drastic change before!), and his words stumbled over each other as he tried to hastily backtrack.

"I... Petunia... I tried! I tried to get him out! I made him go to  _you_ people, to get someone who could help him!" Apparently, the man didn't want any of the blame on him, and was trying to play the Good Samaritan card.

 _Too bad,_  Duo thought nastily,  _that I'm familiar with the Bible more than you, buck-o._

"Why not just call one of us? There are people in my department who are there for just that reason," Duo asked calmly, scribbling down the word  _asshole_  on his paper. He felt Heero's heel dig into his shin and ignored it.

"It wouldn't have been quick enough! I know that they'd want to look around, ask questions, and I wasn't going to have him there any longer than he needed to be! I... I wanted to help him..."

 _Bingo!_  Duo's mind gleefully cheered. It wasn't his best time, but getting the man to crack within four minutes wasn't too bad either with a 'rookie' next to him.

"Can you give me more details about why you felt so pressured into committing child abandonment?"

And so the next thirty minutes were spent listening to a man who had held in his fury and disgust for far too long. It was only years of practice that kept Duo's features schooled into a blank, detached appearance, mimicked perfectly by Heero next to him. Duo's pen was now drawing rather violent doodles on the pad, the pretense of taking notes long abandoned. He had also thickened the word  _asshole_  on his paper to be lost in a sea of violent scribbles and depictions of what he would have done to the man if he could have gotten away with it.

After asking Vernon for his phone number and another time when they could come ask more questions, Duo left the house feeling very satisfied. Getting in the passenger side, he waited for Heero to drive them around the corner before chucking the notepad behind him and sliding his seat back as far as it could go to stretch his legs onto the dashboard and recline.

"Well, I'm happy," Duo declared as he dug into the plastic bag between their seats and pulling out a small wrapped salt taffy. Popping the entire candy into his mouth, he quickly unwrapped it with his tongue, pulling the now-wet and empty waxed paper with pinched fingers and winking at Heero as he did so. All he received for his efforts was a roll of the other man's eyes.

"I would happily eliminate that man's existence," Heero said darkly, his hands gripping the steering wheel. Duo hummed in agreement, digging another candy out.

_Ooh, licorice flavoured..._

"I can't believe they'd treat anyone in such a fashion, let alone their own blood-" Heero vented, though to be honest, Duo had tuned him out. He tried to listen with half an ear, humming and muttering his agreement as he quickly worked his way through the bag of candies that had been bought for their road trip. Heero's thoughts were rather aligned with his own, which was the main reason he didn't bother to listen intently.

Sirens caught their attention, and Duo sat up, glancing behind them.

 _Well, shit,_  Duo mused, taking a glance at the speedometer. He wasn't very familiar with road rules, but he was pretty sure that 130 kilometers-per-hour was not to be done within city limits.  _And I shouldn't be the one driving, Tro?_

* * *

"This 's yer fault, yanno," Duo said to the bed above him, watching the boards move as Heero shifted on the mattress.

"I recall you being the one saying they should do something productive instead of leering at handsome citizens?" Duo snorted, more at the way Heero had cleaned up his statement than being blamed for their situation. Heero's wording was putting it lightly, but it worked for now. Maybe he'd use that in his explanation to Trowa later when he was allowed his phone call.

"You were 'posedta be the responsible driver, weren't 'cha?" Duo shot back, a grin spreading across his face. He reached up to scratch the bridge of his nose, ignoring the familiar sensation of cold metal around his wrists.

"You could have informed me of my speed long before the police did. I was preoccupied."

"Really? I didn't notice," Duo teased, rolling onto his stomach. His braid slid off the side of the bed (the main reason Duo had claimed the bottom bunk, as he didn't want Heero yanking on it), the end brushing the floor. He made a mental note to wash it as soon as he could; he didn't want whatever was on the floor in his hair.

"If you had actually been paying attention to what was going on around you instead of the candy, you might have noticed a lot more," Heero snapped, losing his temper. Duo gave a mental cheer ( _Only five minutes! Record!_ ) and sat up, letting his eyes peek over the top bunk to meet harsh blue.

"Oh, I was paying attention, kind of. You were just sayin' what I was thinkin'. 'Sides, you got bigger things ta worry 'bout than me," Duo warned, his tone betraying his amusement. His eyes probably did too, because he was often told whenever he was being an ass that it was obvious.

"...What could be bigger than  _this?_ " Heero asked warily, and Duo stretched higher, letting his grin show.

"Trying to explain ' _this_ ' to Relena," he answered, dropping down to duck the blow aimed at his head. Laughing, he dropped back onto the bunk, hearing the familiar sound of Heero burying his face into the pillow and groaning.

Ah, he missed this. He should go on road trips more often.


	5. Making Memories

"Now be sure to take a lot of pictures. You'll want them later, when you're older," Wufei says, handing me a camera. It's small – it fits in one hand, and takes up very little room in the pocket of my jacket – and black, but a shiny black. The buttons are all a shiny silver colour too. He also hands me a small book, with a picture of the camera on the cover.

"This is the manual; you can read it while you're in the car. It tells you what the camera can do, so you can know anything you want about it."

"Thank you, Wufei," I say, putting both on top of my backpack. I reach out, hugging his arm before quickly pulling back and giving him a smile.

"Now you better go, Duo and Heero can't stay locked up forever, no matter how much they deserve it," he says, opening the door. I pick up my things and walk with him down the hall, taking the stairs to where Trowa will be with the car. Trowa's putting 'travel things' in the car, and my job was to make sure I had stuff to do in the car. I wasn't expecting a gift from Wufei, and one that can make memories last forever!

I look over the buttons on the camera, trying to guess what they do. Seeing a small button with 'POWER' etched above it, I press it curiously. I jump as it makes a 'whirr!' sound, a green light turning on in the back and a little tube moving out the front. On the back, under the green light, a small telly turns on, showing the ground in front of me; which is exactly where the tube is pointing at. When I move the camera, the picture on the little telly changes with it, and I quickly figure that is what the camera's seeing.

"Here, let me show you how to use it," Wufei says, crouching next to where I'm standing. He pushes the bottom of the camera up, lifting my other hand to grasp the left side.

"Now the screen shows what you're looking at, and this makes it zoom closer." He pushes a lever to the right, and the sign on the screen gets closer.

"If you want to zoom out, push it the other way. Now, when you get it where you want it, press down on this large button," he explains, pressing the large, silver button on top of the camera. "Make sure you hold it down until it takes the picture, or it won't save it," he warns me, and a bright light flashes a few times before a loud 'snap!' sound comes from the camera. The picture isn't moving anymore, and the number 1/650 shows up in the corner.

"You have 649 pictures left," Wufei says, removing his hands from mine. I tilt the camera towards the ceiling, zooming in really close and holding the button down. The light flashes weirdly again, and now the picture freezes again, the number 2/650 showing up instead.

"Okay, come on. Trowa's waiting for you." Wufei presses his hand lightly against my back, making me move forward a little. I start walking again, watching the world in front of me on the small camera screen. When Wufei opens the door leading out to the carport, I take a picture of Trowa, who's leaning against the car with his phone in his hand. He's doing that weird 'texting' thing, most likely talking to Relena again. She isn't happy with Heero right now, because he was 'pulled over' for going too fast. He also did something bad too, but no one is saying what he did. I'm not sure what Duo did to get put in there with Heero either, because all Trowa says is that Duo didn't close his mouth in time; I don't think he means Duo yawned too long. I didn't ask what Duo really did wrong, because Trowa isn't happy when he thinks about it. All I really know is that Trowa made them stay there a week in Time-Out.

"Ready, David?" Trowa asks me, opening the door. I climb in, putting my bag at my feet and pulling my seat belt on. Trowa closes my door, and I can hear him talking to Wufei (though I can't understand them, they're talking in the funny language), but then he's walking around the front of the car and opening the door to the driving side. He reaches over, running a hand down my cheek, before starting the car and backing out.

I take ten pictures by the time we turn the block.

* * *

"Is Duo going to have to stay with Heero again?" I ask Trowa quietly. I'm drawing in my notebook, having grown bored with taking pictures as all that's outside right now is fields. Maybe when it changes again I'll take more pictures.

"Why? Do you want him to?" Trowa asks me back, and I shrug, scribbling a frowny face on my person. I think it looks like Tom, so I switch colours and start filling in hair on the top of his head.

"Last time Duo was in big trouble, he stayed with Heero. Is he not coming home with us when we pick him up?" I don't answer the second question, not knowing the answer myself. I want him to come home, but I don't feel like I should want that; he isn't Trowa, so I shouldn't care… right?

"It's up to Duo if he wants to come home or not," Trowa says, and I nod. Trowa always says it's up to me to decide what I want, so that must be the same for Duo too. I just never know what I want; it's easier to let Trowa or Duo choose.

"I don't want you sad," I whisper, and I feel a hand brush against my hair, rubbing the back of my neck and shoulders. It makes me feel better, so I look over and meet Trowa's light green eyes.

"I'm glad I have you watching out for me," Trowa tells me, and I flush. I can't help but smile though, a warm feeling swelling up in my stomach.

"I love you," I tell him, and he taps my cheek with his hand, grabbing the steering wheel afterwards and paying attention to the road again. He answers a few moments later though, his voice soft.

"I love you too."

* * *

" _Do you see it, Tom?" she asks me, pulling my arm as she points to the sky. I glance, not seeing whatever she is trying to show me, but I don't really care. I'm only here because she wanted me to be, and as she's my 'girlfriend,' I'm required to do as she wants._

" _I do, it's nice," I tell her, and she smiles brightly, leaning over and kissing my cheek. I turn my head, catching her mouth and deepening the kiss. When she pulls back, her eyes are bright and her cheeks flushed pink._

" _I love you, Tom," she tells me._

_I just mumble "You too."_

_I only do it because I have to. There are many things I 'have' to do; I must maintain my image, after all._

* * *

"And here I thought you'd never make it!" Duo says, entering the lobby. Heero's walking behind him, glaring at the back of Duo's head. I see Trowa smile a little, and I copy him. Heero quickly moves from behind Duo over to near where I'm sitting as Duo runs to hug Trowa tightly; Trowa's returning the hug, so I'm thinking Duo might be coming home with us. I snap a picture, tilting the screen towards Heero to show him the 'memory' I saved.

"Good shot," he tells me, and then asks, "May I see what you've taken so far?"

I hand over my camera, making sure that my skin doesn't touch his. He pushes a button, and all of my 'saved' pictures show up. He starts pushing one of the arrows, moving quickly through them. I glance over towards Trowa and Duo, but they're still talking with one of the policemen, some papers on the counter next to them. When I look back at Heero, he's holding the camera back out to me. I quickly snatch it back as he nods at me.

"You have a good eye, those turned out nicely," he says, and I grin brightly. I tilt the camera at him and quickly take a picture, giggling. I got his 'moody' look saved forever!

"Well, come on! I'm  _so_  ready to ditch this place!" Duo calls out and I hop up, putting my camera back in my pocket. Heero walks behind me, moving to Duo's side as I grab Trowa's hand. Trowa's other hand is in Duo's, who is talking quickly. He's speaking English, but it's so fast I can't understand a word of it.

Trowa must be able to though, because he's humming and nodding a lot.

* * *

I never went camping before now. I am not sure if I like it or not; I like to explore, but I would rather be at Trowa's apartment instead. I am sharing a tent with Duo; Trowa and Heero have the other tent. I toss my paper plate into the small fire, watching the paper change colours rapidly and flake away into ashes. Duo and Trowa are talking quietly, doing their weird eye-thing. I sit with Heero, tossing crushed napkins into the fire.

"Well, kids, time for bed! We have a long drive tomorrow!" Duo calls out, standing up and stretching. I watch as Trowa gives Duo a kiss goodnight, and when he pulls away from Duo I run over and give him a hug. He gives me a kiss goodnight too before he leaves to go into the tent with Heero.

"Well, buddy, ready to sleep?" Duo asks me, placing a head on my hand. I nod, going into the tent with Duo.

* * *

I'm curled up in my sleeping bag, but I can't fall asleep. Every time I close my eyes, I hear something, or smell something, and I open them to try and see what it is. It's so dark, and even though it was hot earlier, it's really cold now.

"Can't sleep, kiddo?" Duo whispers behind me tiredly. I jump, curling my arms around my head. Duo makes a 'shhh' sound, running a hand down my hair.

"Close your eyes. Imagine that you're home in a nice soft bed, that these weird noises are jus' outside your window. No one can get you in your room. That's your safe place. Trowa and I are right next to you, one room over and ready to help you. You're holding your favourite toy, and you are warm, happy, and safe," Duo instructs me, and I do what he says. I try to picture it, but a loud, long whooshing sound breaks the picture, and I press back into Duo.

"Tha's jus' the wind. R'member that really bad storm we 'ad, where th'wind sucked th'screens outta th'window? S'like that. You're in your room, s'dun care what sounds're ou'side."

I close my eyes again, and I try to pretend I'm at Trowa's house instead of in the woods. I can pretend I'm in bed, that the tent is really just the walls of my room. I can easily pretend Trowa's in the next room, because he's already close - just one tent over - and Duo is right here. I can't imagine a toy though. I don't have a favourite toy.

"Duo? I don't have a toy," I tell him, and he hums thoughtfully.

"Wha'bout that bear y'had?" he asks me, and I shake my head.

"I don't have it no more," I answer. I am feeling tired now, but Duo asks another question.

"Oh? Where izzit?"

"Quatre took care of it." I think he did anyways, I haven't seen Mylord since we taped up the box.

Duo is quiet, then shrugs and says to me, "Pr'tend you're holdin' suttin' else y'really like."

I close my eyes, picturing everything Duo told me to. When I get to my 'favourite thing,' I pretend that Trowa is next to me, and that he and Duo are hugging me. I feel warm.


	6. Firewhiskey

He didn't think he was an irrational man. He took the time to think things through, choose the options that held the least amount of backlash, treated everyone with compassion and kindness, and never tried to leave anyone out of the loop intentionally. Quatre considered himself a rather calm, rational person on most occasions.

He wasn't too caught up in that belief though to fail to recognize that yes, he had his moments. He knew he had a temper that while slow to ignite, went off like one of Duo's homemade concoctions once it was lit. There were times when he took on more than he could handle, and ended up letting other matters slide to the side. And yes, he remembered what he had done to William Weasley after David was adopted; he hadn't forgotten that.

Which was why he was rather surprised he  _had_  forgotten something of this magnitude, something that  _really_  shouldn't have been forgotten so easily.

"He was doing  _what_?" Duo yelped, and Quatre pulled the phone away from his ear with a wince. He also had forgotten just how  _loud_  Duo could be.

"He was trying to kill the stuffed bear," Quatre repeated tiredly. The creepy stuffed animal, still secured in a box in the back of his hall closet, had been a memory he was much happier not remembering. Now, it was a memory coming back to bite him in the ass.

"Did he say  _why_?" Duo pressed. Quatre sighed, rubbing his palm against his eyes as he tried to recall the details. He mentally ran through a list of that day; he'd just gotten into London after leaving his nephew's place on L4, found out his best friend was aiming to gain custody of a half-crazed child, his missing friend was on the grid again (and living with his best friend), and that the child was an insomniac who liked to wander the house at night.

Quatre had woken up to David's door opening and went to investigate. That was when he found David trying to kill his stuffed animal.

' _Had… to make sure…'_

"He had a nightmare, and thought that by 'killing' the bear, he could stop the person in his nightmare from hurting Trowa," Quatre said, trying to make what happened that night understandable. The line was quiet for a moment before Duo spoke again. His question was asked so quietly, Quatre almost missed it.

"Did he mention any names?"

"Yes, he mentioned a 'Tom', and the bear was named Mylord." A frustrated growl sounded from Duo's side, and Quatre made a concerned sound.

"Nothin', s'just ol' news now. These aren' new dreams, he's had'em f'r as lon' as I been wit'im."

"Is he still having them? I thought they would have gone by now, feeling more stable with you and Trowa," Quatre asked, a sharp sensation of shock running cold in his chest. The frustration Duo felt could easily be picked up as he replied to Quatre's concern.

"I though'so too, bu' it ain't happenin' yet. He 'ad a bad'un a coup'l months 'go, made'im sick as shit. Still dunno what tha'tun 'bout."

"Duo, calm down and breathe! I can barely make you out," Quatre demanded, and the line was silent except for determinedly steady exhales.

"Sorry Q', I'm just pissed that I can't get to the bottom of these dreams of his."

"I know, Duo, it isn't a good sign. Are they really just dreams?" He could almost  _feel_  Duo's brain working through this notion, trying to weigh and evaluate the concept of what it meant.

"Are you saying that they're  _real_? He's havin' memories, not dreams?"

"It's a possibility. He might not be placing himself in the dream, but using a figmentation to take his place, trying to separate the reality from himself. I find it hard to believe that a person – let alone a child – could dream of the same people night after night. Not to mention that, like you said, they aren't just dreams, they're nightmares. There has to be a source that's causing them."

"You know I don't believe in that dream-meanin' shit," Duo pointed out, and Quatre snorted.

"You don't really have dreams to begin with, Duo, your opinion's rather biased," he reminded the other man, and Duo's whine came back loudly over the line.

"I do  _too_  have dreams!"

"You told me you only get colours and sound. I don't think that counts as dreaming."

"Because they don't fit into your dream mumbo-jumbo stuff," Duo muttered, and Quatre could picture the pout forming on the child-like face of his friend.

"Just look into it. Talk to David's therapist about it, he might be able to do something," Quatre suggested, and Duo hummed his agreement.

"I'll pass it on to Tro'; he's the one who's in charge of Davvy's therapy."

Exchanging farewells, Quatre ended the call. A nap sounded like a good idea right now.

* * *

"Quatre?"

He groaned, tossing a hand over his eyes tiredly. The door banged again, along with his name being called once more.

"One sec'," Quatre shouted, rolling onto his side. Quick reflexes saved him from landing face-down on the carpet, having forgotten he had fallen asleep on the sofa instead of his bed. Pushing himself up off the floor, he ran a hand through his hair to straighten it out and walked towards the door, pulling his shirt back on. As his head popped through the opening, he opened the door to a nervous redhead. Behind him was a slightly younger one, though Quatre recognized him.

"William, Charles, good…" Quatre glanced at his watch, which glared back with a luminescent green 18:22, "…evening."

"Hey," Bill mumbled, and Charlie waved with a smile. Quatre smiled back at him, though it dimmed somewhat upon looking back at his older brother.

"Can I help you?"

"Look, I'm sorry! I really shouldn't have hidden it so long, but I didn't want to mess anything up and Harry needed a good family – a  _healthy_  family – and I wasn't going to make it any harder for your friend—"

"What my brother is saying," Charlie cut in, placing a hand over the rambling redhead's mouth, "is 'I'm sorry I'm a complete arse, forgive my idiocy, let me grovel for your forgiveness, and please never let me forget I want to stay on your good side.'" The grin that had formed on Charlie's mouth was contagious, a similar one forming on Quatre's own face. The flush that overtook William's face was rather worth it too, in Quatre's mind.

"Well, I wouldn't mind seeing you beg on your knees," Quatre mused, and it took a second for his brain to catch up with his mouth. Charlie's seemed to be moving faster than his own, for his face was already flushing a dark shade of red. Bill seemed to have missed the innuendo, looking between Quatre and his brother.

"I really need to clear my mind after talking to Duo," Quatre muttered, hiding his flushed face. Charlie laughed, moving over to give 'comforting' pats on the back, but failing to hide his chuckling.

"All in good fun, mate. Now, can we ruin your night?"

Quatre glanced up, the heat in his face dropping as he looked between the rather torn face of Bill, and the sad grin on Charlie's.

"Did something happen? Are your parents okay? Your siblings? What-"

"Everyone's fine, we just have some news that, well, we aren't quite sure you'll believe."

"Oh, fine. It can't get any worse. Come on in and have a seat, I'll get us some drinks. Any preferences?" Quatre asked, moving back into his apartment and heading towards the kitchen.

Bill replied with "The usual," whereas Charlie asked for what he had.

"There's water, orange juice, beer, and tea," Quatre answered.

"I'll take a beer, then!" was the enthusiastic response, and Quatre stuck his head out of the door to look at him.

"Are you old enough?" he asked. Charlie raised an eyebrow mockingly.

"Are  _you_  old enough?"

"Good point," Quatre mused, pulling three beers from the fridge. He handed out the glass bottles as he took his favourite chair, curling up his legs and prying the top off his bottle with his teeth. Taking three large swallows, he rested the bottle between his knees and looked at the two brothers.

"Okay, go ahead. Ruin my night."

* * *

"S'magic's real?" Quatre asked, setting down his fourth bottle. The brothers, both sporting small flushes along their cheekbones, nodded in unison.

"Real's you'n me, mate. Wave th'wand, say th'spell, and bam! There'ya go." Charlie waved his stick, but it was quickly grabbed out of his hands by Bill. Charlie seemed not to notice though, as he kept waving his hand around and mumbling nonsense.

"Huh." Quatre opened the fifth bottle on the table, pulling the lid off. "So... is tha' how I'm drinkin' this... wha' izzit anyway?"

"Firewhiskey!" Charlie crowed, drinking from his own bottle. Quatre nodded, taking a large sip. He barely felt the burn as it moved down into his stomach, but he could tell it was much more potent than the bottles in the bottom drawer of the fridge.

"Duo would like this," Quatre commented, tilting his head down to peer into the bottle. "Why'zit called tha'? I don' see no fire in there."

"It feels like fire going down," Bill answered. Quatre frowned, trying to contemplate that.

"No. Fire hurts more. Scars. Is it leaving scars inside?"

"No, mate, it isn't. Forget the name, and I think you've had enough." Bill pried the bottle from Quatre's resistant grip, and after sulking for a moment, he brightened up again.

"S'this magic stuff... Davvy's got it too?" Charlie snickered, nodding enthusiastically. Bill's nod was a bit more sober, which made sense as he  _was_ much more sober than the two younger men in the room.

"Yeah, when he's eleven he'll get invited to a school where he'll learn how to use his magic properly," Bill answered, and Quatre's face lit up as his alcohol-rattled brain connected a few dots.

"The stove! And the lights! That's magic, right? That's why they blew up!" Quatre spread his arms wide, as if mimicking an explosion. Charlie copied him, spreading his own arms wide as well.

"Yes! Magic! I blew up the shed trying to get to the brooms!"

"Explosions often follow accidental magic, at least when it involves anger or frustration," Bill clarified, and Quatre frowned.

"Then he needs to learn not to blow things up. That's not good to do. But..." Quatre could feel himself sobering as his brain started processing these thoughts, and he whimsically missed the drunken haze that had hidden his reality for those several moments. "Trowa. He doesn't do well away from Trowa. He can't even attend public schooling right now, how long would he be gone every day to do this?"

"It's a boarding school," Bill corrected, and Quatre paled. "He would be gone from September to June, having a couple breaks during Yule and Easter where he could come back home."

"He can't do that! Not now! He'd... He would..."

"And that's why I broke it to you as soon as I could," Bill said, grabbing Quatre's moving hands - as one almost hit his face in the blond's panicked state - and looking him in the eye. "I couldn't say a  _word_  about magic, school, or  _anything_  like that until the adoption was finished. A non-magical person can only adopt a magical child if everyone is unaware of magic existing, which includes the child. If any of you - Trowa, Duo, or Harry - had any thoughts of magic being real, or a possibility, you would have had to also go through an adoption process with the magical government offices. They don't work as fast as the non-magical adoptions either, when it comes to non-Wizarding families. It could have been  _years_  before Trowa would have been recognized as Harry's legal parent."

"I... That's what you tried to tell me that night, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I tried. I got a bit side-tracked, and then you sort-of went off the deep end... I chickened out, honestly," Bill said with a tiny grin. Quatre pouted, crossing his arms.

"I did  _not_  go off the deep end! The building was still standing, and you're alive, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm very much alive. I need you to break this to Trowa and Duo, figure out what you plan on doing," Bill said, and Quatre frowned, leaning back in his chair.

"David can't be alone, but this... 'accidental magic?' It's getting worse. If he ended up harming someone with it, I don't think he could handle that. He needs to learn to use it, but he can't leave..." Quatre groaned, burying his face into his knees and hugging his legs closer to his chest. He heard movement, and soon a warm hand was rubbing his shoulders.

"Didn' I say we'd ruin your nigh'?" Charlie comforted, massaging the small span of shoulder next to him. Quatre mumbled something unintelligible, before lifting his head to glare at the man.

"Yes, yes you did. Now, being great beings of magical power, give me some options."

"Well, one of the things that might help is I'm going to be assigned as Harry's magical guardian," Bill said, and he hastily continued talking at the dark look sent his way. "I hold no responsibility in his life, unless it involves matters pertaining to legal issues or educational problems on the magical side of things. Some people can take advantage of it, but I want to let Trowa call any shots that need to be taken, so I'll act more like an advisor than a guardian."

"Why'd you get that job?" Quatre asked, and Bill shrugged.

"I'm the one who revealed Harry's magic to his parents. Since he doesn't have a blood relation living that is magical, and neither guardian was aware of or has magic of their own, being the first of 'blood' to tell them automatically gives me that right. I have to formally register to hold any influence, but it should help move some weight around if need be. The Ministry's biased, regretfully, against those that they call Muggleborn."

"And what's that?"

"A Muggle is the common term used for non-magical people. You, Trowa, Duo, Harry's aunt and uncle, are all Muggles. Muggleborns are Witches or Wizards born to two Muggle parents."

Quatre leaned back, looking up towards the ceiling. After a few long, tense moments, he leaned forward and grabbed the bottle of Firewhiskey Bill had taken from him earlier.

"I'll talk to them. Later. Can you make more of these appear?"

Charlie grinned, throwing his arm around Quatre's shoulders and dragging him closer.

"Of course! Bill, more drinks!" he demanded, and Bill rolled his eyes, flicking his wand.

"Brats," he muttered with a grin. Neither heard him though, too busy starting a rather rowdy rendition of a Christmas carol Bill was sure  _didn't_ involve lace.


	7. How Things Are

"Add this here," Wufei tells me, and I do what he says. Taking the two numbers, I add them together before looking at the math problem again.

"Now, what do you do next?" he asks me, and I shake my head.

"I don't know," I answer, and he hums knowingly.

"I think you do, you just doubt it. What do you  _think_  you should do next?" Wufei presses, his tone calm and steady. My heart beats faster, a slight fear overtaking my mind. Wufei's words wash over me, breaking into the haze of my thoughts.

"Take your time, there's no rush."

"I… I minus the six from the five?" I ask, unsure. He hums again, a good hum. This hum means I got it right.

"That's correct. Now if you do that, what happens?"

"The number gets the little minus sign next to it. Minus one," I answer with more confidence.

"And what does that mean?"

"It's negative. Below zero."

"Good job. Now write that down and explain the equation," Wufei says, and I do it. I feel a warmth spread through my chest at the praise, a smile forming on my face.

"Now, try the next one. If you have a question, just ask me."

I work on the math problem, doing the addition first and then the subtraction. I still find it hard to believe that I can do this, that I can be smart; I still feel like I'm doing something wrong by pretending to be smart. But whenever Trowa praises me for being smart, when I hear Wufei tell me I'm doing a good job, it's hard to feel  _bad_  about pretending I'm smart. I like hearing I'm good, and not bad. Being smart, with Trowa, is a good thing. Aunt might not have wanted me smart, but Trowa does, and I like Trowa much more than I ever liked Aunt.

"Good job, you did that right. I think we've done enough learning for today, so put your papers away and we'll go take a look at your garden," Wufei decides, standing and stretching his legs. I carefully place my work papers in the bright red folder, which I then put on the shelf next to the sofa. Trowa says that I can use that spot to keep my school stuffs, and I make sure to keep it neat and clean so that I don't get it taken away. I still have it, so I'm doing good at keeping it clean, I think.

My garden is much bigger than before; Wufei says soon we will start planting things at his house instead of in the pots. Some of the plants he's going to teach me to grow need a lot more room than Trowa's house. Wufei and I first look at the plants in the living room. One is getting really big, and I show it to Wufei.

"We will need to find a larger pot for it, it's running out of room to grow. See the tips? They're dying now, because the roots are too crowded to drink the water you give them," Wufei explains, touching the browning tips.

"That's not good," I say, and Wufei nods.

"It's what happens though, when plants grow. You know how you get new clothes when yours become too tight?" I nod, remembering how I had to go get new pants just last week. "The same thing is happening to the plant. It needs a bigger pot, since it's older."

"Oh!" I feel the worry in my chest go away. I had thought I did something bad and messed up my plant, making it go all wilted and brown; it's only growing up!

"So it's a teenager plant now?" I ask curiously. Wufei grins, chuckling.

"Yes, you could say that."

We check the plants in the kitchen, where the herbs are kept. Trowa's been using them, since they're shrinking, but Wufei keeps telling me it's better to use them than to let them grow and go to waste. Herbs are supposed to be used a lot, it's a good sign that I'm growing them right.

The medicine plants I keep in my room. One of them I point out to Wufei with a frown.

"It sick," I tell him worriedly. The plant is squishy, and no matter what I do it isn't getting un-squishy.

"It is, though I can't tell why," Wufei agrees, picking the pot up. He's looking at it closely, and while he does that I go around and water the other plants. Some plants I need to shake the food stuff in, since they don't grow normally in London weather and need extra help.

"Ah! Come here, David, and look at this," Wufei calls out, and I set my water can down on my desk. He holds the plant lower, and I look at it blankly.

"Look in the dirt, what do you notice?" I look into the dark, almost black, dirt that fills the container, and watch it closely without blinking. I see something shift, and I look closer. When it does it again, I tell him.

"The dirt's moving!"

"Exactly. Some type of insect must have decided that the plant was a good place to start a new home," Wufei says, taking a pencil off my desk and moving the dirt around. "I can't see what kind of bug it is, but it was bound to happen sooner or later, with this many plants. Many wild plants outside become homes to different bugs, as a lot of bugs eat plants to live."

"Bugs are stupid," I say, frowning at my sick plant. "Don't they know I need it?"

"They don't know any better," Wufei explains, lifting the pencil. A small spider is on the tip of it, dropping back down into the pot. A small silvery strand is left behind, waving in the small amount of air moving in the room. "To them, it's perfectly normal to move into any plant they feel can be a home. They don't think about such things as who owns or needs the plant, they just want a place to live."

"But why?" I ask, not understanding. I took a lot of time to care for that plant, and now the spider's made it bad.

"Everything that exists has a purpose. Spiders, like these ones, eat other insects that can be of harm to us. Mosquitoes that carry diseases, flies, wasps, bees, other insects like that, spiders eat all those," Wufei says calmly. I frown, thinking about it.

"Why are they in my plant then?" I pout. "If they eat other bugs, why are they eating my plant?"

"Spiders don't always just eat bugs. They like different things too, just like Duo eats a lot of weird things you wouldn't like to eat. It looks like these spiders are just making your plant a home to eat other things as the plant isn't being eaten. Some plants attract the food that spiders like this kind eat, so they come and live near plants to eat better. Do you understand?"

"So they aren't meaning to hurt my plant? They just wanted to live there and get food?" I ask, trying to figure it out. Wufei smiles at me and I blush. I feel weird when attention's on me.

"Exactly. Now, I'm going to see if there's a way that we can help the plant without killing the spiders," Wufei tells me, picking up my plant. I resist the urge to tug it back to me, remembering that without Wufei's help I can't keep it alive.

"I'll take this home with me to help me find a way, then next time we will help it together, okay?"

"Okay," I respond, looking again at the plant. I see one of the spiders crawling up against the green stem and feel my chest tighten. I don't want to kill them either, they just want a place to live too.

* * *

Me and Duo are watching a movie together. Quatre came over earlier and asked Trowa to eat dinner with him, saying he wanted to talk about some things. Duo is watching me while they do that, and he picked out the movie since he knows more movies than I do. It's one of his weird cartoons again, but not the one he watched yesterday.

"So why are they fighting?" I ask Duo, tilting my head. There are two men yelling at each other, pointing at something far away that's on fire. I don't know what's going on.

"They both want to go help, but one of them needs to stay behind," Duo answers, his eyes never leaving the screen. I watch Duo for a couple moments before sliding off the sofa.

"I'm going to my room," I tell him, backing into the hallway before turning and going to my door. Closing it behind me, I move over to my toy crate and pull out my camera. Turning it on, I make it so I can look at the old pictures I took. There's Trowa at his car, Trowa and Duo hugging, lots of trees and sky, some buildings, Heero's grumpy face, and Duo pushing Heero into a stream. I keep looking through them, remembering the pictures and the camping trip.

I pause on a picture, having never seen it before. I couldn't have taken it, since it's me. I'm sitting in Trowa's lap near the fire, and I think it's when Trowa was showing me how to cook a marshmallow on a stick, since that's what we are doing. Duo's next to us, holding a marshmallow he set on fire. It is still burning in the picture. Since Trowa, Duo, and I are in it, only Heero was able to take it.

I set the camera down, my hands shaking and my eyes burning. I think I've found how I fit into the picture. Heero just had to show me.

* * *

Trowa came home very late. I can hear Duo greet him, but I don't hear Trowa say anything. I do hear a knock on my door, and I go to open it. Trowa's on the other side, and he grabs me into a hug as soon as I open the door.

"I love you," he says, hugging me. I hug him back, confused. Did something happen? Is something happening? I hiss lowly, questioningly. He hums, picking me up and moving into my room while still hugging me.

"Let's lay down a while," he suggests, setting me down on my bed. I scoot over, letting Trowa climb up next to me. He stretches out, tucking one of his arms under his head and holding the other one open; I waste no time moving closer and cuddling up against him. His arm rests over me, his fingers brushing my hair.

"There might be an answer to what makes you so special," Trowa says quietly, after several minutes of silence. I hiss again, too tired and content to try forming words. Trowa understands though since he keeps talking.

"Lily and James, your birth parents, were special too. They could do special things like you can, and that's how you do them too. There are some people out there who can do the same things, but they learned how to control it so that it only does what they want it to," he continues, and I look up at him.

"How?" I ask, finding the word coming to me quickly. I hate being 'special,' making things happen that I don't want to. I want to know how to make it stop.

"I don't know yet, I'm still learning about it. Quatre is the one who told me."

"Mmm..." I hum, closing my eyes. Trowa will learn how, I know he will. Trowa knows everything sooner or later.


	8. The Last Straw

I hold tightly to Trowa, my head resting against his chest as he holds me close. We are sharing a seat, allowing Wufei and Quatre to sit next to us. Wufei and Quatre are talking to Trowa in the funny language, but Trowa isn't speaking back. Heero and Relena are sitting next to Wufei, Relena talking while Heero stays quiet like Trowa is. I have no idea what they're saying, and I don't want to know. I know they're talking about Duo, and that's enough.

The doctor people will tell us when Duo is fixed. My hand grips Trowa's arm tighter at the thought of Duo, a whimper escaping my throat. Trowa finally speaks, using the funny language. He only says one word, the one Duo uses a lot in his and Trowa's fights.

" _Urusai."_

Heero's birthday present to me, the book about the funny language, says it means 'be quiet.' It's one of the only words I recognize when they speak it, since Duo shouts it a lot. They stop talking, like Trowa told them to. I wish they would keep talking, because that means I can be ignored. Trowa lifts me up as he stands, holding me as we move away.

"I'm sorry," I whisper. I have said this a lot because it's my fault everyone has to be here. It's my fault Duo has to be back with all the doctor people, and why Trowa is sad. Because I can't be normal, Duo is hurt.

"David, you didn't mean to," Trowa tells me, but I shake my head.

"I got mad. Things blow up when I am mad. I blew up Duo!" I cry out, burying my face back into Trowa's chest and sniffling again. I can feel Trowa hug me tightly.

"You didn't blow him up. Yes, he got hurt, but that doesn't mean you're to blame."

"Yes it is," I mumble stubbornly. I cannot see how it is anything  _but_  my fault.  _I'm_  the one who hurt Duo, so it has to be my fault!

" _No,_  it is _not_ ," Trowa repeats firmly. I look up, meeting his serious green eyes. Those eyes that made me trust him, made me trust people again. Eyes that have never lied to me. "Duo and I knew that this could happen. That until a way to help you learn to gain control of your special talents was found, something could happen.  _You_  didn't know this, so if anyone is to blame it's me."

I stare at him in horror.  _Trowa_  wants it to be his fault? Why? He didn't do anything wrong,  _I_ did. I close my eyes again, feeling the tears coming back. Why can't Trowa see how bad I am?

"It's okay, David, it's going to be okay. He was able to get here in time, and the doctors are saying it's all on the surface. Nothing too deep, nothing bad. It will heal and go away, he's going to be okay," Trowa whispers in my ear, rocking me back and forth. I give into my tears again, blocking the sounds of my crying with his jacket.

"That's it, just let it out," he tells me gently, rubbing my back. I listen to Trowa; he knows best.

* * *

"Hey little man," Duo says to me. He's in the weird bed, wearing more white than I've ever seen in one place before. The bed sheets are white, along with the walls, floor, furniture, and even the clothes he is wearing. I stare at Duo's dark hair, as all the white hurts to look at. I can't look at Duo's eyes, because I know they're looking back at me.

"He hasn't been talking," Trowa tells Duo, and I feel my chest hurt. I haven't been able to get words to come out since I cried a lot. I'm scared, and the words hide when I'm scared.

"Oh? What's wrong, buddy?" Duo asks me, holding out an arm. I can see the white stuff wrapped around his arm, some dark spots on it. I bury my face in Trowa's shoulder, closing my eyes tightly. Trowa says it's not my fault, but I'm still having a hard time believing it.

"S'not as bad as it looks, Davvy," I hear Duo say to me, and I shake my head without lifting it up.

"Come on, David," Trowa whispers, rubbing my back, "remember what we talked about."

"What's up?"

"David thinks this is his fault," Trowa tells him. I tremble, digging my hands into Trowa's jacket. It's silent after that, just the sounds of my breathing and the machines in the room making noise. When Trowa moves, I squeak, gripping his jacket tighter in my already tight grip. I feel the familiar movement of him sitting down, and a hand too small to belong to Trowa brushes down my head and neck gently. I can feel the bandage scrape my skin.

"You know that this ain't your fault, Davvy, right?" I shake my head, mumbling into Trowa's jacket.

"No it's not," Duo repeats, pressing his hand gently against my cheek. My head turns with his hand, making me look into his weird not-blue eyes. "Did you want this to happen?" Duo asks me. I shake my head hard, my hair flying in front of my face.

"No!"

"Then it's not yer fault. Y'didn' mean ta make this happen, s'why you gettin' all bent outta shape 'bout it?" Duo gives me a bright smile, and my chin starts to shake. I let out a sharp gasp, leaning towards Duo with my arms out. He slides his arms under my own, hugging me to him. He keeps a hold of me as he lies back down, and Trowa moves to lie next to him, an arm still resting along my back. We lie there together, not talking but just cuddling.

I'm glad Duo isn't mad at me. It would make Trowa sad.

* * *

He shook his head rapidly, ridding as much water as he could from his hair. It was raining torrents outside at the moment, the late night adding a more chilling effect than normally felt in the middle of July. He longed for the dry heat of the deserts, the endless stretch of sand and sunlight and no drop of rain in sight, but those days might be a time off; at least until young Harry was situated.

Thinking of Harry put Bill back on track. He pounded on the solid wood doors of his alma mater. When the doors finally opened, he wasted no time sliding into the protective ( _dry_ ) entrance hall and wiping the water away from his face.

"Mr. Weasley, care to explain why you are here?" The thinly disguised command had Bill's lips quirking, his reply swift and innocent.

"Can't an old student come see his favourite professor?"

"Surely there are more suitable times to drop in for tea; say, during the day?"

"It's a bit more than tea I need," Bill muttered, his humour quickly vanishing. A hand came to rest between his shoulders, pushing him forward a little.

"Come, then, William, and tell me why you find eleven o'clock at night a suitable time for visiting."

"Thank you, Professor."

The walk was quick, the professor showing years of experience walking the halls of the castle by getting to her office in ten minutes; despite it being several floors and corridors away from the main hall.

"Now Mr. Weasley, what can I help you with tonight?" Professor McGonagall asked, flicking her wand briefly before putting it away once more. The grate burst into flame, the warmth filling the room and bringing Bill much needed relief.

"I, I found myself in a rather sticky situation," Bill began, dropping tiredly into a chair. A teacup, already filled, floated next to his hand, sugar dropping into it automatically; the tea set remembering Bill's preferred amount. He ignored it for now, more desperate to get his 'situation' out in the open than hide away in his tea.

"If it's illegal, don't say anymore-"

"No, it's perfectly legal, Professor; that doesn't make it any less complicated," Bill hurriedly reassured the woman, who relaxed at his words.

"Good, I was beginning to think you lost another bet with the goblins," McGonagall teased, and Bill flushed; of course she would remember the  _last_  time he was in trouble.

"No, this is a bit more… Okay, I'm a magical guardian now," Bill blurted out, and a low hum was all that was given as a response. Bill quickly went on, his words tripping over each other. Where was Charlie when he needed him? "I met a muggle while on a dig for Gringotts, who had fallen down one of the larger dunes right next to my dig. I assisted him, for the main reason of getting him away from the site before he noticed anything out of place, but… well… I made a friend of him."

"And then?" McGonagall prodded, setting her cup down. She had dealt with Weasley many-a-time while in a frazzled state, so she was now used to the rambling prelude to the problem. Patience was a virtue a Gryffindor had to learn, especially when one oversaw the House itself.

"His friend was adopting a boy from his work – they're some kind of child protectors from what I understand – and the child… well, the child is a wizard. And since I'm the first Wizarding adult to discover this—"

"—you became his Wizarding Guardian," she finished, finishing her tea. Maybe this was a conversation that required something stronger than tea…

"More or less," Bill agreed, taking a sip of his lukewarm tea.

"And how is this a problem? Do you know what your responsibilities are?"

"Yeah, I borrowed one of Perce's books," Bill replied absently, worrying his lip. "I might have waited to tell them though, an' kind of made them mad at me, an' found out a bit more… complicated matters."

"Like what?" she pressed, and Bill shook his head.

"I can only say a little here, the rest needs to be said away from prying ears," Bill motioned to the pictures that were eavesdropping non-too-subtly. "His accidental magic is out of control. Explosions most of the time, this last one would have torn one of his parent's apart if the man hadn't moved fast enough. I haven't explained to them about magic, and I… it's better if you could come and talk to them. He's turning eleven this month, a new student this year… and neither of his parents know what's really going on, just my muggle friend."

"William Weasley, really…" Minerva sighed, pressing a hand to her eyes. His twin brothers might be a handful, but they learned from the best. A suspicion blossomed in her chest, and she looked her former student straight in the eye.

"Please tell me you aren't talking about who I think you are."

"Like I said, Professor, I can't say anything here." She sighed, waving her wand sharply. A glass cabinet opened at the other end of the room, a dark bottle floating over with a couple tumblers. She manually poured two large shots of whiskey, handing one to Bill.

"You really do get in the worst problems, don't you Weasley?"

"It's a talent," Bill replied, grinning tiredly as he downed his glass. His eyes slid closed at the sensation.

He was certain Professor McGonagall could get them to listen, or at least believe it. And then Duo's ire could be directed towards someone else this time; win-win.

* * *

_My hands_ _shake_ _as the shouting_ _starts_ _around me. I_ _can't_ _stop staring at them though, the glistening red fluid smeared over them, along with my exposed chest and face._ _It's_ _warm, hot even, and still fresh. I lick my_ _lips_ _, tasting the familiar coppery bite of the life-giving substance._

" _Terry! Whadya do t'im, y'freak!"_ _one_ _of the men_ _yells_ _at me, his fist rising. I glare at it, like I had at the man – Terry – and that fist_ _explodes_ _as if he_ _was_ _holding_ _a firecracker inside of it. His screams quickly_ _change_ _from anger to pain, and I glare at his chest._

_Third time's the charm._

_The man's friends_ _are_ _scared now. I_ _can_ _see it. I grin, knowing that with the blood coating my body and face it_ _is_ _ten times scarier than my ten-year-old self would have been without it. They drop their blades, moving as fast as they_ _can_ _away from me._

_I reach down and tug my shorts back up, my legs starting to shake; the bravado I had to show vanishing without the threat. I lean against the wall, letting my body slide down as it_ _wants_ _to. The headless man rests near my leg, the blood no longer pumping out of him as it had when he tried to harm me._

_I trail my fingers from one shoulder to the other, letting them dip into the cooling mess around the exposed neck._

_"You'll know better next time, won't you Terry?"_


	9. Stage 2

"I'm going with you."

Wufei stood in front of the car door, arms crossed and unmoving. Duo and Heero glanced at each other, Duo shrugging and Heero sighing.

"Do you even know  _where_  we're going?" Duo asked, and Wufei gave his own little shoulder-shrug.

"I don't really  _care_. I just know it involves  _them._ "

Wufei was  _pissed_  when he found out Duo and Heero had gone to visit David's uncle. He had some things he had wanted to ask the man, but he couldn't go after they had, or the cover-story they used to get the man to talk would be broken. They needed that in place for when an official investigation could take place later.

Wufei might be a Preventer himself, but he  _had_  been a rebel first; the rules could be bent for a good cause.

"Fine. You get to drive though. I don't want to get pulled over again because Heero's speeding."

"Fine." Wufei didn't mind driving; it was rather soothing even if it was much slower than flying. He missed his days as a pilot, but there was no need for pilots anymore. Not with the peace.

He pushed those thoughts aside, not wanting to dwell too long on them again. He took the keys Heero was holding out, getting into the driver's seat while Duo climbed in the back, leaving Heero sitting next to Wufei.

"So what excuse did you give to go harass  _Them_  this time?" Wufei asked, turning over the engine. The jeep started on the third try, the floor and seat shaking under him.

"Camping, of course!"

"Of course. I forgot you two aren't that original," is all Wufei said in response, earning a cry of outrage from behind him.

"Well, which way are we going?"

"Take a left, head to the highway. Enter on the southbound, keep going."

"Got it."

* * *

"How the hell can you find people around here?" Duo muttered, peering closely at each house Wufei drove by. They were crawling at about 20 km/h down the very suburban neighbourhood, looking for a house that only Duo knew the address to.

"If you would just  _tell us which damn house-"_

"There it is! Pull over, quick! Hurry hurry, she just got home."

Wufei smoothly pulled to a stop against the curb, Duo jumping out of the jeep before it had completely stopped. Heero exited next, followed by Wufei who still had to turn the vehicle off. They straightened their ties, Duo pulling his hair under a cap and checking himself in the side mirror.

"Okay, so we're private detectives working for Vernon Dursley in regards to Dudley Dursley's custody."

"And you think she'll believe you?"

"No, but she'll believe  _you_. Just act like you normally do and she won't argue."

"What are you implying?"

"Duo believes there is a large object permanently encased in your colon," Heero answered blandly, "despite all medical evidence I have provided to prove otherwise."

Wufei scoffed, giving a dark glare to both Heero and Duo. Slamming his door closed, he strode across the street and the perfectly manicured lawn to knock briskly on the faux wood door. The sound of movement could be heard inside, and a woman answered the door. Her face was pinched, as though she was thinking of something displeasing.

"What do you want?"

"Are you Mrs. Petunia Evans, formerly Petunia Dursley?"

"Yes I am." Her voice was sharp, biting; but after having spent time around Duo, Heero, and Commander Une it felt more like talking to a slightly intoxicated Quatre. He nodded, glancing at the padfolio in his grip, flipping some papers randomly and making a checkmark.

"I am Yao Lee, private investigator. With me are Terry Reed and Ryu Takahashi, both whom are private investigators as well. We have been hired by Vernon Dursley to evaluate the living situation for his son, a Mr. Dudley Dursley. If he feels the living conditions are inadequate, we are to open a case for him to gain custody. May we please conduct a quick walkthrough and speak to the minor-in-question?"

The woman looked like she wanted to argue, but Wufei narrowed his eyes, snapping his binder closed with a single hand and pushing aside the now-angry woman.

"I never said-!"

"Do you have something you do not wish to show us?" Wufei asked calmly, and her mouth snapped shut, irritation showing on her face.

"My associates would like to ask you some questions while I conduct a walkthrough, and then we need to talk with-"

"Dudley, yes I heard you the first time," she bit out, and Wufei gave a rather menacing smile (if the way she flinched back was any indication).

"Reed, Takahashi, please make sure to get adequate answers from Mrs. Evans."

"Yessir!" Duo chimed, tapping his fingers on the brim of his hat while Heero gave a small bow, moving subtly between Wufei and the aunt.

Wufei didn't try to eavesdrop on the conversation taking place in the sitting room, knowing that Duo and Heero would be able to give him a play-by-play on the way back home. Instead, he took his time looking around the house.

The papers they'd found showed that Petunia Evans was still living at the address where she had David while he was living with them. Wufei was looking for evidence of David living here, though it was over six months since the boy had been abandoned; there was little chance of finding anything. It was worth the opportunity to look though.

He started searching in the bedrooms upstairs. Pictures of an obese boy lined the walls, different ages and situations showing the progression of the boy's age and weight, both steadily climbing higher.

There were no pictures of David to be seen, not even in a corner of a frame. Either she had taken them down after he vanished, or there never were any to begin with. Pictures of the uncle, Vernon Dursley, were also absent.

The boy's room was cramped, toys and furniture lining the walls and taking up much of the floor. A full-sized bed was in the middle of the room, pressed under the window facing their neighbour's home. The bedroom next to it revealed more toys, the many different types mirroring the toys that had been in the child's bedroom.

 _Spoiled_ , Wufei thought, disgusted by what he was seeing. A child might deserve the right to play, but even that should have limits. The weight of the boy was no longer such a mystery; he must get everything he ever asked for.

Petunia Evans' room was immaculate; much like David's room normally was. Nothing rested on the top of the dresser or the nightstand, only two pillows rested on the bed, tucked neatly under the perfectly made sheets. The window only had a modest lace window dressing, tied back with a thin string on both sides. No pictures lined the walls, unlike the hallways, and other than the mentioned furniture, nothing else was present in the room.

It was like a self-made prison. It looked just like David's room.

"It makes more sense," Wufei mused aloud, closing the door. No matter how much effort Duo put into helping David mess up his room, the boy always cleaned it up right after. It had taken a few months for him to not get panicky about leaving things on the dresser (which now housed a small amount of his artwork), and plants lined many of the surfaces in the space. But those first few memories of the boy's room was a reflection of his aunt's behaviour.

The last bedroom upstairs was a guest bedroom, and the bathroom was as empty as the woman's room. A hall closet showed nothing interesting, except revealing yet another place where the child's toys were stored when not in use.

It was downstairs that he found a couple interesting things; evidence that David had lived here in the past. The location made Wufei nauseous.

 _I can't believe them!_  The small toy soldier that had been crammed into a corner (which could have easily belonged to the woman's son) was clenched in his fist, his eyes fixed on some pencil doodles on the back wall of the tiny closet; a location the overly large boy would never have been able to reach. Doodles that looked like ones David still drew in his notebook after waking up from a nightmare.

Wufei closed the door to the closet, his throat tight in his anger; making it hard for him to breathe. He made sure his face was impassive as he continued his search, finding no other evidence until reaching the storage shed in the backyard.

A small pillow and blanket were piled under a handful of gardening tools, some spoiled sacks of food and a flashlight underneath those as well. There were small specks of blood, only one large enough to show who it might have belonged to. The tiny handprint was enough to have Wufei backing out of the shed quickly, moving towards the house.

Duo would want to see that.

It didn't take much to get Duo to follow him, using the 'second witness' line to make the woman nervous. He took Duo out to the shed, quickly summarizing his find.

"This is disgusting," Duo hissed, crouching to look at the blood. "You think she would have cleaned it up."

"It doesn't look like she comes inside often. The way the woman behaves would have had the food thrown away months ago."

"Yeah, that's gross too. For being so anally germaphobic, she leaves what I think is a sandwich to become maggot breeding grounds," he quipped, poking at the bag of food. Wufei felt his stomach roll, having to look away from the sight of the squirming larvae.

"So what now? We can't accuse her of anything while being 'private detectives,'" Wufei pointed out, and Duo hummed.

"Feel like stalking for a while?"

* * *

'Stalking' turned out to also mean harassing. Duo and Heero were at the hotel room they'd rented, while Wufei moved quietly around the back of the home, out of sight from any nosy neighbours. He slid his knife under the window, moving the latching lock so he could open the window and lift himself in.

The aunt and her son were watching some evening game show in the sitting room, a large bowl of popcorn in the hollow of the boy's crossed legs. Wufei made sure to move low so that he wouldn't be reflected in any of the glass fixtures and decorations in the sitting room. He quietly moved to the small closet he had found the army man in, lifting the handle to prop the door open. He set down Duo's hand-made masterpiece, which still gave him chills when looking at it.

 _He must have read one of Trowa's books,_  Wufei thought, leaving the door open and moving further into the house. At the top of the stairs, he pushed one of the pictures off the wall, letting it land on the floor. He slipped into the guest bedroom, moving under the bed where he couldn't be seen from the hallway. The shriek he heard was worth the three hours it took for Duo to convince him he should do this.

"Mummy! It's Harry! He's back!"

Wufei swallowed his revulsion at hearing the boy speak, his innocence not belonging in this house.

"No he isn't! This is a sick joke. Go to your room. Now!"

The boys wails from the order grated on Wufei's ears, growing louder as the boy moved towards his room.

"Daddy wouldn't make me leave! He would let me watch the telly!"

"Your father is a lowlife who doesn't deserve to see you!"

"I want Daddy!"

The sound of his crying was muted, but not silenced, as the bedroom door closed. The pasty, shaken complexion of the woman's face was easy for even Wufei to see from his current position, her hands gripping her hair.

"He's gone, he isn't coming back. He's gone, he isn't coming back. He's gone... he's _gone_!"

 _Guilty conscience_. Wufei waited until she moved back downstairs before sliding out from under the bed, moving towards her bedroom this time. A second doll found a home on her bed, tucked messily into her sheets. A third went on top of her dresser, a fourth, fifth, and sixth  _inside_  the drawers. A couple more went into the closet, and he just tossed the remaining half-dozen randomly around the empty space. He left the house via her window, dropping to the lawn with a practiced roll to save himself from injury. He would have liked to stay to watch, but the longer he remained the more chances there were of being caught.

* * *

"May we speak with your son?"

The woman peered blearily at them, looking as if she had spent a long night drinking. It took a couple moments before she answered, stepping aside to let them in. Wufei suppressed his smirk, looking around the house as he entered.

It was a disaster. Broken glass and furniture littered the floors, and the house was in disarray. Wufei couldn't help but feel the triumph bloom in his chest.

 _The voodoo dolls really did a number_ , Wufei mused, letting a disappointed look cross his face as Duo had instructed.  _Duo pinned her reaction down pat._

"He's in the kitchen," she said bluntly, pointing to the dimly-lit room. Wufei led Heero and Duo, taking a seat at the kitchen table where the obese boy was working through a large plate of eggs and hash.

"Hi. We work for your dad. Can you tell us your name?" Duo asked, letting his 'work face' come into play.

 _For being such a self-absorbed bastard, he does good work,_ Wufei thought, watching the man lead the child around with his words.

"So you don't like living with your mom?" Duo questioned, and the boy shook his head back and forth hard.

"No, my mummy never lets me have fun. It's always boring here. Daddy let me go places and do things, and here I have to stay in my room all the time."

"When your mom and dad were together still, did she act like this?"

"Only to Harry. But Harry was a freak, so it was okay to do it to him. I'm not a freak, so she shouldn't be mean to me."

Wufei had to hold his tongue, reminding himself the boy didn't know any better. He was taught this by his parents.

"Oh? Who is Harry? We don't have him as a person who lives here," Duo said, jumping on the opportunity. Wufei could see the tension in Duo's shoulders, and the grip Heero had on his pants. They couldn't react, or else their facade would be broken.

"He was my cousin. But he went away, and then Mummy and Daddy left each other too. Mummy said she had to be really bad to Harry, because Harry was a bad boy who did bad things like his mummy and daddy."

"What kind of bad things did your mom do to him?"

The answers he gave were enough for Wufei to break the pen in his hand, the ink dripping down his fist and onto his clothes. Heero's pants ripped at one point, his grip tearing the sturdy material apart. Duo, on the other hand, acted like the words spewing from the boy's mouth were perfectly normal and not in the least bit horrifying.

"It sounds like your mom's starting to do that with you, too," Duo said, tracing the word 'bitch' with his pen as he watched the boy nod morosely. The word was traced and filled in so many times that it most likely was imprinted several sheets down on the pad.

"Yeah. She threatens me with Harry's room sometimes, though she doesn't make me go in it. She doesn't even open his door anymore, not since he ran away."

"Well, why don't we take you to your dad's place then?" Duo said, clapping his hands together once as if coming to a final decision. Wufei glanced at Heero, who was trying to light the table on fire with his eyes.

"Yeah! Okay!"

* * *

"You realize we just kidnapped a child from his mother, are now driving across the country to drop him off with his father, and that if we are caught we're doing much more than a week in lock-up?" Wufei asked Duo as they grabbed food off of the shelf. Duo nodded, opening the fridge enough to sneak his hand inside to press the light off as he opened it fully. While the occupants of the home were not present, someone might see the light in the empty home and call the police.

"I understand you are angry, but this isn't going to end well," Wufei continued, holding the bag open as Duo piled the food inside.

"Look, I had to do something. Heero said I can't kill the bitch, so I'm taking the last person she cared about and giving them to someone who isn't as much of a total fuck-up."

"And what are you planning on doing to keep us out of it? He's going to spend at least a week in our company, getting to know what we look like well enough to give a description."

"Have it covered. Heero's working on it right now."

"Don't tell me, I don't want to know," Wufei said quickly, setting down the full bag and picking up an empty one. They needed enough food to get them through a week, as grocery stores would be out of the question along with hotel services. Duo tossed in a package of cheese, closing the door to the fridge and opening the freezer.

"Well, this looks good enough, we better scram," Duo said, closing the freezer and picking up a couple packs. They went out the same way they came in, checking for anyone watching before heading to their car a couple blocks away. Anyone looking now would see two college students coming back from a grocery trip, not two kidnappers stealing food from a stranger's home.

"This better be worth it, I only have two more days off of work."

"We can drop you off in London before heading to Liverpool," Duo said, and Wufei nodded. It would be the best situation. And if Duo and Heero were caught with the Dursley child, he wouldn't be incriminated.

Though if that  _did_  happen, Wufei would fight hard to get them out. His honor wouldn't allow otherwise.

* * *

"Enjoy your camping trip?"

Wufei looked up from his desk, spotting Une standing in his doorway. Wufei shrugged, placing his pen down and stretching his arms.

"Thought it would be much more relaxing than it was. I forgot 'relaxing' and 'Maxwell' don't belong in the same sentence," Wufei replied, rolling his eyes.

"Well, whatever you did while 'camping' better not end up on my desk."

Wufei watched her leave, head dropping into his hands once she closed the door to the office.

_She fucking knows. God damn you, Duo Maxwell!_


	10. The Reality of it All

"I don't think this is the best idea," Trowa says, his soft voice carrying to my spot on the windowsill. I'm pretending to watch the neighbourhood kids play some sort of ball-kicking game, while really listening to Trowa talk with Quatre.

"At least give her a chance to tell you about the school." Quatre's trying to convince Trowa to let me go to school. To learn how to control my freakishness. I'm not supposed to use that word, but I think if I just say it in my head I won't get in trouble for using it.

"You think this is smart? To send him off for  _months_  by himself?"

"If you would listen to me for a moment instead of jumping to the worst possible scenario-"

"The worst possible scenario is him going alone!" Trowa snaps, turning to face Quatre. I can see their faces in the reflections on the glass, Quatre's reflection calm and steady, a strange face next to Trowa's anger.

"Just listen to her. See what she has to offer, what she can do to accommodate. David  _needs_  to learn control, and her school teaches that."

"I know," Trowa whispers, one of his hands wrapping around his stomach as the other one presses against his eyes. He's leaning against the wall, and his anger is gone. I slide silently off my windowsill, moving towards them.

"Trowa, I-" I cut Quatre off, hissing at him while reaching a hand out towards Trowa. My fingers find a grip in his sleeves, and I hug myself against his arm, glaring at the one who made my Trowa so upset. Trowa doesn't remove the hand hiding his eyes, but the one holding his tummy moves to hug me against him, and I snuggle closer.

"I'll just go finish dinner," Quatre says, walking to the kitchen. I ignore him, nuzzling against Trowa's stomach and hissing gently. Trowa hugs me tighter, humming softly to me.

"I love you," I tell him, looking up into eyes so much like mine. His eyes are looking back at me, the hand covering them now resting on my cheek. "I won't go if you no want."

He doesn't say anything, but strokes my cheek with his thumb before moving away from the wall. I let go of Trowa, knowing it's hard for him to walk when I'm trying to hug him. The lady from the school will be coming after dinner, and that's what we're going to eat right now. I sit in Trowa's lap while we eat, and he doesn't move me so I think he wants me to stay. No one says anything during dinner, which is strange when Quatre's here.

Duo comes home fifteen minutes before dinner's done. Wufei's with him, still wearing his blue work outfit. Heero and Relena come five minutes before dinner's over, Heero staying on the other side of the room away from me. Trowa and I are sitting in his favourite chair, his legs crossed and leaving a space for me to curl up against him. Duo's next to him, on the corner of the sofa with Wufei next to him, and Quatre on the other corner. There's an empty chair, for the lady who's coming to talk to Trowa.

I watch the numbers on Trowa's watch change to 20:00 right as a knock sounds in the room. Quatre stands, going to answer the door since no one else gets up to do it. I don't try to look towards whoever is here, knowing it's the school-lady coming to try to make me leave Trowa.

I hear Quatre greet the school-lady, but the sound of Trowa's heartbeat and breathing drowns out the words. When Quatre comes back into sight, followed by the school-lady, I find myself relaxing; I don't know why though, she looks scary to me.

She's tall, like Trowa-tall, and her skin's kind of wrinkly. Her hair is dark, but there's not-blonde in it too, like Uncle and Aunt had in their hair, though Aunt was always trying to hide it again with the stinky stuff. The school-lady's hair, though, is twirled into a big swirl of hair on the back of her head. Aunt never wore her hair like that, not that I remember anyways. It looks painful.

Her eyes are dark, looking around before landing on me. I stare back into them, caught between fear and anger. She's the one who's making Trowa all sad and angry, making him think I don't want to be with him anymore! I wish she'd stop staring at me.

She looks away, but it still looks like she's watching me, because she's really looking above me at Trowa.

"You must be Mr. Barton?"

"You must be the representative from the school my friend Quatre told me of," Trowa replies, his arms loosely moving to hold me against him; making a barrier between me and her.

"Yes. I am Minerva McGonagall, one of the professors that teach at Hogwarts. What have you heard so far about our school?" My stomach jolts, the name sounding familiar to me. I've heard it before, but not when I've been awake.

"I did not know the name of the school, only that it is a place centered around teaching young children control over their abilities, abilities which are far beyond the comprehension of the human mind," Trowa replies, many of the words not making sense to me. I don't think they make sense to McGonagall either, because her face goes kind-of funny looking.

"You do not yet understand what these abilities are?"

"I had believed them to be a form of telekinesis, as it mainly involved the unintentional destruction of whatever invoked David's ire, whether it be object or person."

"Then what I have to tell you might seem rather unbelievable," she says, finally taking a seat in the chair Quatre put there for her. Duo snorts next to us, his input rather loud in the silence of McGonagall's words.

"Lady, we're all used to David doin' the most unbelievable things by now, whatever y'havta toss at us can't be any more out there."

"I'm sure," she says, a strange sound in her voice that sounds very much like Heero when he's trying to be funny. "But I have a question for you, Mr...?"

"Duo. David's other dad, for a lack of a better word."

"Duo, then, do you believe in magic?"

" _Magic is very real, Mr. Riddle," the aging man says to me calmly, sitting in the rickety chair near the wardrobe. I scoff, sneering at the foolish man._

" _You're lying. You're just making fun of me. There's no-"_

"-such thing as magic," Heero says, seeming to finish my sentence.

"Magic is very real, that is what-"

" _Hogwarts teaches control over your magic, letting you be able to do many different things."_

" _I can use this stuff-"_

"-just fine and dandy, but do you have proof?" Duo snaps, his arms crossed across his chest as he stares up at her. I don't remember him getting to his feet, and I'm not sure what they're talking about.

I'm not sure who's talking. Me, or Tom. McGonagall, or Mr. Dumbledore. I don't understand.

I watch as she glances around the room, her voice as strong as it was before everyone started telling her she's wrong.

"May I show you my wand, and after that, show you-"

" _\- many things I must do to become powerful," I whisper, my voice a mere hiss to the ears of any humans listening. My serpentine companion, my only true friend, draped across my shoulders, hisses in amusement._

" _What humans will go through for-"_

"-power varies from person to person, Hogwarts teaches how to control-"

" _\- the sheep of this world. If they're so gullible as to believe me, they deserve-"_

"- the chance to learn? Trowa, we've talked about this already," Quatre's insistent voice cuts through the haze, and the room goes much too quiet when I whimper.

"David?"

"Hurts," I whisper, clutching my head. The pounding pain, from hearing Tom talking and everyone else, all running and mixing together. I can't tell what's going on anymore, it hurts!

Trowa starts humming, his hand rubbing along my neck and scalp. That, mixed with the silence, helps my brain stop hurting, and all I can say is what I know, now, to be the truth.

"Magic's real. It's real."

* * *

"Believe, for just a moment, that magic exists," Quatre says, sitting at the kitchen counter. Tea, coffee, and juice is spread along the surface, some at the kitchen table and some just left on the counters near the people sitting at it. Relena, Duo, and Quatre are the only ones sitting there though; the rest of us are at the table. I sip at my juice, absently listening as Trowa pets my hair.

"You seem to be the most convinced," Duo mutters, giving Quatre a weird look. "What convinced you?"

"William and his brother getting me drunk off of alcohol they magicked into existence," he replies, and Duo blinks. Relena's giggle breaks the tension.

"Are you sure it wasn't the alcohol that made you think that?"

"No, I was sober when he started waving his wand around. He's the one who told me about David, Hogwarts, and magic. The hangover that followed was plenty enough to beat it into me," he continues, taking a drink of his coffee.

"I believe it as well," Wufei says, and my eyes dart to him. Wufei? He believes in magic? "My ancestors spoke of those who were born each generation with the ability to control the elements, the very world itself, with mystical powers granted to them by the gods."

"The evidence of the matter suggests that the plausibility of 'magic' existing is high," Heero adds, drinking from his cup. I think he has juice, but I don't know. I know he doesn't like coffee, Duo said that once.

"I know, I know," Duo sighs, stretching his legs out straight before dropping them again, the heels banging against the wood of the cabinets. He tilts his head, setting his cup down. "I mean, I grew up thinking of magic as something for kids to believe in because they don't want to believe the world's really just a giant pile of shit. To have some old coot - no offense, Ma'am," Duo adds, looking over at McGonagall. She just smiles, sipping at her tea, and Duo keeps going. "Well, for a full grown, mature and well-aged woman coming and telling me I've been wrong for all of my 18 years existing in that shit-filled world isn't sittin' too well with me, yanno?"

"I understand it is much to take in," McGonagall agrees, gently resting her cup on the table, still cradled in her hands. "Witches and Wizards have kept themselves separate after the witch hunts of the Middle Ages. In the end, I think it was more for both of our sakes, though mainly our own. Some would be glad to tell you of how the non-magical people tried to extort wizards, using their magic to simplify and solve the problems of their lives. I think that the worlds are better separate, but it just makes it harder for those non-magical parents," she looks between Trowa and Duo, "to accept the reality of their child's unusual abilities."

"I understand," Trowa says, his chest rumbling under my head as he talks. "It's not that I don't believe David's able to use magic, or that magic is what it really is. I've seen enough things in my life to prove the existence of powers beyond the control of rational explanation. I am only concerned about David himself."

I rub my face against his shirt, letting the loose material shield my face from the eyes I  _know_  must be looking at me. Like I'm the star of the freakshow.

"The boarding program at Hogwarts will care for him, that isn't a worry you need to have," she starts, but Trowa breaks in, correcting her.

"David's still adjusting to normal life, I am unsure of the effect being uprooted again and thrust into a strange environment with no one he can trust will have on him; I doubt it will be positive," he finishes, his fingers still carding through my hair. I lean into his touch, trying to ignore everyone else.

"Would he be required to live on the grounds of the school?" Wufei asks, his voice sounding as calm as it always is. "Is there any way he would be able to attend classes while still being able to live here at his home?"

"It is not an option that normally comes into question, but I understand his circumstances are also not normal compared to many others who attend Hogwarts."

"Because I think he should go," Wufei says, and I feel Trowa's hand tighten in my hair. It's not painful, even though it's pulling my scalp a little. "He needs the training, he needs to be around other children his own age, and I believe that he also needs to learn to be himself."

"I do not like what you are implying." Trowa's words are growled, his voice getting scary-soft again. I move slightly, trying to get closer to Trowa. To make him feel better.

"His dependence on you is becoming unhealthy. He's still adjusting to being in a healthy home where people actually care about him, and I am factoring that into my observation, but he's not going to learn to be well-rounded while his world centers only around you. He needs to grow out, grow into himself outside of the bubble only you exist in." Wufei's words are sharp, firm, and the silence that follows starts making me tremble.

"Hate to say it, but I agree with Wu, here," Duo adds, his voice loud and overbearing in the tense room. "David's doin' wonderfully, but he would do anything you ever ask him to do, Tro, even if it hurts him. If you even hinted that you didn't want him to go to school, he wouldn't. And he'll do it to make you happy. He'll do  _anything_ to make you happy, prob'ly even kill someone."

I feel my eyes widen, my chest tighten as I hold my breath. I will  _never_ kill anyone,  _never!_

"How  _dare_  you," Trowa hisses, his anger clear. I can feel it on his skin, coming into  _my_  skin. I'm angry. How dare they make Trowa angry!

I hear something shatter, and I know I did it. I don't care, my anger growing. Another crack, another shattering, and my vision whitens as I feel the power -  _my power_ \- cover the house. I can feel it working, can feel it breaking, can feel the moving, living anger.

My sight comes back, but the room's darker. It's like when I first met Nick, when he made me angry. But I did it on purpose this time. I  _made_  this happen.

"Ma'am, I think now would be a good time tor you to leave for tonight," I hear Quatre's calm, steady voice. "There's some family issues that need to be discussed. I'll be in contact."

"Certainly, Mr. Winner. I will leave William Weasley with instructions to contact me when you are ready."

* * *

"You're bein' very narrow-minded 'bout this," Duo snaps, his voice easily carrying to me. I'm in my room, hiding under my bed. When the school lady left, Wufei and Duo ganged up on Trowa to try to make him let me go to school. I'm not sure I want to go anymore, not if Trowa  _doesn't_  want me to this badly.

Heero, Relena, and Quatre are in my room too, but they aren't trying to make me come out from under the bed. I can see them sitting on the floor against the wall my door's on, Relena sitting on Heero's lap and Quatre next to them with a book. Heero had come over for a moment near my bed when they first came in, but he didn't do anything more scary than give me a pillow. Since then, they've stayed over there quietly.

"We have David's best interests in mind, along with yours, Barton," Wufei adds, his voice angry. At Trowa. He's angry at Trowa. I don't like them being mean to Trowa. But I'm tired. Making all the lights blow up made me tired after, but I can't sleep when they are yelling at each other.

I can't hear Trowa, even though I can hear Duo and Wufei. I don't know if he's yelling back, or if he's talking quiet. He might not be talking at all. I don't know, I can't hear him.

"We're not asking you to give him up, or to force him to go for the full year. If they can let him go for just the classes, or even find something locally to help him, he could still be here with you. He'd still go to his therapist, to pottery classes with Duo, I'd still help him with his gardening. But he's never going to figure out who  _David_ is if he doesn't learn to grow his own sense of self. Right now, all he cares about is  _you_. If it makes you happy, it makes  _him_  happy; if it makes you sad, or angry, or annoyed, or depressed, it does that to  _him_  as well! He needs to find out what 'David' wants, what 'David' likes." Wufei's talking a lot, and I wonder why Duo's not yelling too. Duo and Trowa yell a lot when I'm supposed to be sleeping, though I only ever hear Duo yelling.

"Don't you  _ever say that again, Barton!_ " I hear Duo hiss, and I give a hiss myself. I curl up more into my pillow, burying my wet face.

"Duo has helped David greatly in his recovery, don't you diminish his role in your life," Wufei growls.

"Well, fuck you!"

"I can't  _believe_  you, Barton."

It's quiet after that. I hear the door slam, and I don't know who left, but someone did.

And it's my fault. Because I had to be enough of a freak to need to be taught by them too.

I hate this. I hate Tom. I hate Mylord. I hate them, they made me a freak. I hate myself.


	11. Blame

I wish I could stop being such a problem for everyone. I'm making everyone upset because I can't be normal like other kids. I make Trowa worry, I make Duo upset, and I make Wufei argue with Trowa a lot. I make them pick sides, pick sides against each other, because of me.

Duo's been staying at Heero's house since the teacher lady came. Wufei still comes and teaches me lessons and helps me take care of my plants, but he ignores Trowa when he's here. He never did that before, but now instead of having coffee with Trowa before my lessons he just starts them right away, and leaves right after we finish watering my plants.

Duo doesn't come over a lot anymore either. He comes and picks me up for our pottery lessons, but after he drops me off he goes back to Heero's house. I miss him, and it scares me, because I shouldn't miss anyone but Trowa.

I miss Trowa too. I miss him being happy, and I hate myself for making him have to be sad. If I were just normal, like other people, I wouldn't make him sad. If I weren't afraid of being without him, I wouldn't make going to school such a big deal.

I try to not be such a problem. I stay in my room when I am not doing anything Trowa asks me to, having lessons, or going to class with Duo. Miss Clara asked me last week if everything was okay, and I lied. I told her nothing was wrong. Nick asked me the same thing during our time yesterday, and I lied to him too. I said nothing is different, that we are all happy.

Everything's wrong though, and it's my fault.

* * *

"Why are you so against this?"

Duo's fighting with Trowa again. They aren't speaking Japanese either, so I can understand their words, and it hurts. No one else is here either, so I can't pretend to ignore them like I did when the others were in my room with me  _that night_.

I don't hear what Trowa's saying, but I can guess his words from Duo's yelling. I'm too weak to go by myself. Trowa thinks I can't do it. Trowa's right, because Trowa cannot be wrong. It's impossible. Duo and Wufei are wrong to think I can do this, that I can do anything without Trowa.

I'm nothing without Trowa. Don't they understand that? Without Trowa, I'm just Boy.

Even then, without Trowa I couldn't go back to being Boy. Boy is who I was with Uncle and Aunt. I don't even have them anymore. Without Trowa, I'm nobody. Nameless. Worthless.

The only person I can become, without Trowa, is Tom. Tom becomes Mylord, when he grows up. And I don't want to be Tom. I want to be anyone  _but_  Tom.

I can't live without Trowa. So I will do whatever he asks me to.

* * *

Trowa's in the kitchen. I can hear him from my room, moving around and cooking something. I don't know what, but it smells familiar. Duo's not here, he hasn't been here in a while now. It's Saturday, so Wufei isn't coming either.

I am trying to make it so I don't have to go to the weird school. If I can control my freakyness, then I don't need to go, right? If I stop making things explode, I will stop being a problem, and everyone can be happy again. I don't want to upset Trowa though by being weird on purpose, so I'm practicing on my plants.

I don't think it's working though. I'm trying to make good things happen instead of bad, but my plants are looking bad now and I think it's my fault. I try to think good thoughts, and make good feelings go out of my head instead of the bad ones that make things blow up, but I don't see good things happening. I get a lot of pain in my head, and it doesn't feel like happiness at all.

I'm staring hard at the pot in my hands, the little leafy plant inside not doing anything that I want it to. I want it to get bigger, and I'm wishing hard for it to get bigger, but it's not happening. I don't feel that same thing that I did when I was angry and made the lights blow up.

A soft knock at my door startles me, the ceramic pot cracking from my surprise. I look up at the door, setting the pot down behind another one so that Trowa doesn't see it. I don't know what he'll do if he knows I'm doing freaky stuff, and I don't want to find out.

"C-come in," I call out, realizing he's waiting for me to say that. The door opens, and I find myself relaxing as I see him. It doesn't matter what it is, or what he's doing, but I always feel calmer when I see him. But right now, I try to not see him much because then he can see me. And I'm making everything bad right now.

"Breakfast is ready," he tells me, and I stand up off the floor. I put my drawing pad and pencils back into their little box, which I then put into my closet. Wufei and Duo got me lots of little boxes to put my things away in, and I've been much happier with not having them all over my room.

Trowa's hand is resting on my back as we walk to the table to eat. I recognize the food on the table, even though I've only eaten it once before. It's the lumpy stuff from my first day with Trowa, with the milk, sugar, and honey on there too. There's a lot of it in my bowl, not like when I first ate it. I know I couldn't have eaten this much when I first came. Now I can, because of Trowa.

"What is this called?" I ask him, sitting down in my seat. I don't feel nervous about sitting at the table anymore, because I know I can. Trowa wants me to, because it's normal to sit at a table to eat unless it's a special day. Then we can eat in the living room. Or if we're watching a movie, we can eat snacks in the living room. Like normal people do.

"It's called oatmeal," he says, sitting down in his seat.

"I like oatmeal," I decide, putting some of the honey and milk into my bowl. Just like Trowa is.

"Ah. Why?"

"Because you made it," I reply simply, and it's a good enough reason for me. Trowa doesn't say anything, but he doesn't need to.

* * *

I'm hiding in my room. Duo came inside after pottery class to get some clothes and starting fighting with Trowa again. I wish they could stop fighting and get along again, I miss them both being here.

My hands are over my ears, my eyes tightly squeezed shut and my face pressed into my knees from where I'm curled up in the corner.

 _I don't want to be here! I don't want to be here!_ I think desperately, my panic building as Duo's voice gets louder.  _I don't want to be here!_

I feel my chest getting heavy, my arms and legs trembling, and my ears pop loudly, making my head hurt. I feel like I'm going to throw up, but I bite my lip and try not to. I don't want to clean it up. I hear a crash, and a hand rests on my shoulder right after.

"David?"

I look up, startled. That isn't Trowa's voice. It isn't Duo's voice.

It's Heero's.

 _When did he get here?_  I wonder, but when I look around, it's not my room. I've never seen this room before. It's not in Trowa's house, that is all I know. But I'm with Heero, and I know that too. I just don't know where Heero is. I don't know where I am.

"David!"

I blink, focusing on Heero again. He's crouched in front of me, his hand hovering over my shoulder. The room's moving, and I give into the feeling in my stomach, leaning forward and throwing up. Heero moves back out of my way, standing up quickly and going out of the room. I throw up again.

When I stop throwing up, Heero comes back with a couple towels. One of them is wet, and he cleans up my mess. I just let myself fall over onto my side, watching him silently. I don't know what's going on, but it hurts to think right now.

"I don't know how you got here, but I want to let Trowa know. Do you want me to call him?"

I just stare at him, but he only stares back. I wonder, absently, what Heero will do if I never answer. Will he keep staring, or give up and do what he wants? I don't know Heero that well, so I don't know which one he would do. He's still staring at me.

 _Don't you have something else to do?_  I ask rudely, though not out loud. I couldn't ever say that to Heero out loud. Ever.

"I'm going to let him know you are here; if you don't like that idea, let me know now."

"...No."

"Elaborate," Heero demands, and I stare blankly at him. I don't know what that word means, so I can't listen to him.

"'No, don't call him,' or 'No, I don't care?'" Heero says, and I frown. That makes more sense, is that what it means to 'elaborate?'

"Don't call," I repeat. "He busy right now." I wish I could tell what he's thinking; his face is always the same no matter what I say to him. Trowa's like that, but I know what Trowa's thinking a lot. I don't know what Heero's thinking though.

"What is he doing?"

"Yelling with Duo," I mumble, rolling onto my side. I blink as Heero snorts, standing up from where he was crouching. He picks up the dirty towels, leaving the room again. I can hear him talking though, and I can't help but smile as I hear his words.

"I will call him later then, after he's done."

"Okay," I whisper, closing my eyes. I feel really tired.

* * *

"He just appeared out of thin air?"

"I don't know how, but yes."

"Fuckin' hell."

I open my eyes, seeing the dark room. I feel fear first when I don't recognize the room, but after a few moments I remember I am with Heero right now. I fell asleep with Heero, and I must still be there. Looking around from where I am laying down, I'm right where I went to sleep at. Though there's a pillow under my head, and a blanket on my legs, which were not there when I went to sleep.

"Trowa freaked out, man," I hear Duo say. His voice is sadder than I've ever heard it. "We heard somethin' breaking, and when we got to Davy's room he was gone, all the planters in his room broken t'bits. Thought he ran 'way, yanno?"

"Then you should probably stop fighting so much where he can hear you. He had me delay my notice to you about his appearance here as you two were 'still busy yelling.'"

"Look, I don't  _wanna_ fight with him! But 'til he gets it through his fat head tha' I'm not tryin' t'get b'tween him an' his kid, I can' jus' ignore'im insultin' me twenty-four-seven!"

"Have you told him that? Or just yelled 'fuck you' back at him instead?"

"Eh..."

"Figures. No wonder you're not getting anywhere."

"Well, fuck you too, buddy."

I laugh, and I see Duo's head poke out from the top of the sofa, his eyes looking black in the dark light. I can see his relief though, and I smile at him.

"You said the bad word again," I tell him, rolling onto my side so I can see him better. He sticks his tongue out at me, moving so that his arms are crossed over the back of the sofa. I don't see Heero, but he must be over on the other side with Duo.

"I say a lot of bad words, so be specific, kiddo- oww!" Duo glances behind him, frowning, before looking back at me.

"Er, okay, don't be specific then. How ya feelin' Davy?"

"M'tired," I yawn, cuddling my blanket to my chest. "M'tired of you not being home. When are you coming home?"

"When Trowa stops being a- God  _damn it man!_ " Duo snaps, glaring again behind him.

"Watch your language," I hear Heero say, his voice the same as when he was talking to me. He doesn't  _sound_ mad, but he's still hitting Duo. I don't get him.

"Well, come home. Stop yelling at Trowa. Make Trowa happy again," I order, frowning at Duo. "Make things normal again."

"S'easier said than done, bucko," Duo chides, resting his head down on his arms. His braid slides forward, dangling over the back of the sofa and brushing against the floor. My hand twitches, wanting to reach out and grab it and make it stop swaying.

"Why? Why can't you just come home? I... I miss you."

"I miss you too. But right now, Trowa and I aren't getting along. You hear us fighting now, we would be doing that much more."

"Or you get tired and give up, and go back to being happy again," I snap back moodily, "you did that before too."

"But we're not fighting about something small."

"No, you're fighting about me."

Duo opens his mouth, closes it, and opens it again before sighing, closing his eyes.

"It's not your fault, David."

"Yes it is! I can't be normal like other kids, and I'm making problems again! It's why Aunt was always mad at me! I'm making you two fight like Aunt and Uncle did!"

_And Uncle got rid of me, to make the fighting stop. Which one of you will do that?_

"David, stop it. What we're fighting about has much more to do with Trowa than it does with you. Yes, a little has to do with you, but it's not about  _you_. I want you to be able to do things, and so does Trowa. We don't agree on how to do it though, and that's why we're fighting. It  _is not_  your fault. Get it?"

 _No._  "Yeah," I mutter, rolling to bury my face into my pillow.

Duo calls my name, but I ignore him. I'm done talking to him, and he seems to figure that out after a few tries. I hear him tell Heero he's going to go call Trowa to pick me up. I close my eyes, letting the pillow hide my tears.

* * *

Wufei brought me new pots for my plants, along with new seeds and new dirt. The pots in my room all broke, and the plants inside died. I didn't say anything, though I did help him clean up the old mess and make the new plants. I haven't said anything out loud since I came home. I'm not saying anything until Trowa and Duo stop yelling at each other, and Duo comes back home.

Today is my day I meet with Nick. I don't plan on talking to him either. I don't want to talk to anyone anymore. I make things bad when I talk, so I shouldn't do it anymore. Aunt and Uncle hated me talking, and I don't want to make Trowa and Duo any more mad than they are right now.

When it's close to the time we have to go to get to Nick's office, I hear a knock on my door. But it's not Trowa's knock, it's too loud. I stare at the door, waiting for whoever is knocking to just open it or go away. When it opens, it's Duo who's poking his head in, not Trowa. I don't hear Trowa at all.

"Come on Davy, I'm takin' ya today."

I slip off my bed, not having to put anything away since I wasn't doing anything. I slide on my shoes at the front door, and get into Trowa's car, with Duo driving instead of Trowa. I didn't see Trowa on the way out, and I look over at Duo, a frown on my face. He shrugs, guessing my question.

"He's seeing his own doc' today."

Trowa isn't supposed to see his doctor person today. He does that earlier in the week, he  _did_  that earlier this week already. Why is he back then today? Is he sick? Did I make him sick?

"Don't worry 'bout it, 'kay? He's tryin' ta get his head back on right."

That doesn't make me feel any better, but I don't tell him that. I don't tell him anything.

The drive to Nick's office doesn't take long, but it feels like it does. Duo doesn't say anything on the drive there, and he doesn't turn on the radio like he does when he's with me and Trowa in the car. He doesn't say anything when we get to Nick's office, and the nice desk lady waves at me when we enter. I don't wave back.

Duo goes up to her though, as I find my way over to one of the chairs in the back. I curl my legs up under me, squishing myself into the seat tightly. I can't hear him, but he is talking to the nice desk lady, who nods and picks up the phone at her desk, talking into it a little after she does. She hangs it up and gives Duo a nod, and Duo moves to come sit next to me.

"I'm gonna go talk to Nick first, okay kiddo? Then you can go talk to him after."

I just glance at him, looking away again to follow the lines on the carpet. They're all twirly, and it makes me dizzy trying to figure out where one starts and the other ends. I hear Duo get up after a little, but I don't look up at him. I just watch the floor, and the lines. When a hand brushes along my shoulder, I jump, my head shooting up. It's just Duo though, a smile on his face.

"Your turn! I'll be out here when you're done."

I get up, looking to see where Nick is at. He's over by the desk lady, watching me. I move towards him, but out of touching distance. He turns and walks towards the room we meet in each time, letting me go in first like normal. I do my usual check of the room before taking a spot in the corner, hugging a stuffed bear to my chest. Nick sits on the bean bag chair, his notebook resting on the floor next to him.

"Duo's very worried about you," Nick starts, and I just stare blankly at him. I don't know where he's going with it, or what he expects me to say. But I'm not saying anything, I promised myself I wouldn't.

"You've been talking for less than a year, he doesn't want you to forget how to do that, or be afraid to do that. He told me how he and Trowa have been fighting for a few weeks now. You never mentioned that to me."

I don't move, my throat feeling tight.

"What's going on, David?"

_I'm ruining everything again. I'm making them sad. I'm making a new Aunt and Uncle._

"Would you rather write, if you don't wish to talk?"

I think about it for a moment, before shaking my head. I don't want to talk to Nick, I don't want to talk to anyone, and I don't want to write about it either.

"Duo told me what you said to him, about your aunt and uncle. Will you listen to what I think?"

_Do I have a choice?_

"I think this is very different. Your aunt did not care about your well being, and when she and your uncle fought, I imagine you were one of the things they fought about?"

I don't nod or shake my head, but Nick doesn't seem to notice.

"Trowa and Duo are fighting now too, and it started after your invitation to a special school. Trowa doesn't want to push you too far too quickly, where Duo thinks you should go because you can handle it. They are fighting about how to best help you, David. That sounds very different than your aunt and uncle. While I don't think their fighting is a good thing, it isn't your fault."

I don't say anything, instead staring at my bear. It looks like Mylord, but I don't let it go. It's not going to do anything bad. I'm already doing that.

* * *

"David, come out here," I hear Trowa say, and it isn't a question. I do as he says, moving to stand in front of him, my head down. I had to leave Nick's office early because I didn't say anything. I think I made Nick mad at me. I don't know, but I think I did.

"Sit down," Trowa orders, and I move to where he is pointing. When I'm sitting, my hands folded in my lap and my head down, I feel him sit next to me, his leg right next to mine. His arm moves around my shoulder, hugging me to him. I lean into him, tears building in my eyes. I haven't touched him since that morning we ate oatmeal; I haven't hugged him since before the school lady came.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, and I feel his breath moving my hair. His face is buried in it, and he pulls me onto his lap, squeezing me. "I'm so sorry."

I hug him back, letting my tears come out and taking a sharp breath when my chest starts to hurt from holding it.

"I didn't mean to hurt you, David. I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry."

"...My fault," I remind him, but he shakes his head.

"No, it's mine. I got scared, and I hurt you inside. I hurt Duo too, and my friends. But I hurt you the most. I left you alone."

"Deserve it," I tell him, and his grip on me tightens.

"You don't deserve my anger, you  _never_  deserve it. You've done nothing wrong."

"Freak," I whisper, leaning back and pointing at my chest, wondering if he forgot about that.

"Don't call yourself that. You aren't a freak."

"Uh-huh. If I no blow up things, I no need to go." Trowa chuckles, wiping at my face. I feel my tears smear across my cheek, making my ear wet.

"It's not that simple, no matter how much it should be."

"Why not?"

"Because it's so much more than just 'blowing up' things. You could do so many wonderful things with your magic, things we can't even think of right now. You might even make Duo's world turn upside down if you learned to explode things on purpose," he teases, grinning down at me. I smile back, laughing at the thought. Duo always wants to see me blow things up. It  _would_ make him happy if I did it on purpose.

"Do you want me to go?" I ask him, reaching out and touching his cheek, my fingers brushing right under his eye. He closes them for a little, before opening them again and looking at me.

"Yes. I want you to go and learn."

"Then I'll go," I reply, nodding. If Trowa wants me to, then I will. Which makes me happy, because I sort-of want to go too.


	12. Grasping Normality

Duo's coming home today. Trowa says he is, anyways, and Trowa's never wrong. I asked Trowa if we should make all of Duo's favourite foods for dinner, and Trowa told me we could. So we are doing that right now. Duo's favourite foods don't go together, but today it's okay. Because he's coming home, and that's the most important part.

I can tell Trowa's happy about it. He's not smiling, but he feels like he is. I look at him, and just know he's smiling. It makes me feel all smiley inside too. I'm mashing potatoes, because Trowa says that Duo loves mashed potatoes. I think they feel funny in my mouth, but tonight is about Duo, not me.

We also have a present for Duo for when he gets home. Trowa and I went out and got him one, right after Duo called and told us he was coming back. It's wrapped in shiny paper, which I picked out because I know Duo likes shiny things. I want him to stay, so I'm going to make him have all of his favourite things right here so he never has to leave again.

I have another present for Duo, which is still in my room. I want to give it to him later, but I didn't tell Trowa. Trowa won't like the present as much as Duo, and that makes me a bit scared, but even  _Trowa_  says tonight's about Duo. So I'm going to try to give it to Duo still. Trowa has a present for Duo too, that is in his room. I don't know what it is, and Trowa says I don't need to know. I bet it's some adult thing Wufei says children like me don't need to think about, like money or bills. So I'm not going to try to find out.

I watch the clock closely, knowing that Duo is coming home after he leaves work. He has to stay at work until the clock says 16:00, and then he comes home at 16:20. If he has to see his doctor lady, he comes home at 18:45. I don't think he sees the doctor lady today, so he should be home soon. The clock says it is 15:53, so there is… twenty-seven minutes left! Wufei is teaching me to read and count in clock numbers. It is fun.

Trowa's excited for Duo to come back home. He can't sit down, he's been moving since the phone call this morning. He sometime just walks up and down the hall, not doing anything. I am excited for Duo to come home, but I'm scared too. What if Duo keeps fighting with Trowa? I love Trowa a lot, and I... I kind of like Duo too. I don't want Duo to make Trowa sad, because it makes me sad. It makes Duo sad too, when he fights with Trowa, and that makes me sad. I want us to be happy, not sad. There's enough things to be sad about, to not make this one too.

I feel Trowa ruffle my hair as he passes me, and I smile up at him to show him I'm not being sad. He does the not-smiley smile, brushing his fingers across my bangs. They keep falling in my eyes, and I still don't know if I want to cut them. Aunt gave me a haircut once, and I hate people coming near my head with scissors now. My head had hurt a lot, since she pulled my hair tight and cut my skin sometimes. I had gotten in big trouble when it grew back the next day, and she kept doing it over and over, until Uncle made her stop.

Trowa tucks my bangs behind my ears, kissing my forehead before he goes back to making his part of the dinner. I go back to mashing the potatoes, making sure that there's no big pieces left to make it not as fun for Duo. He says too many 'lumps' make it so that the mountain breaks. I don't understand what that means, but Duo doesn't like lumps, so he won't have any.

* * *

"Ah, I've missed this," Duo yawns, leaning back in his chair and stretching his arms before placing them on his stomach. I nod, head bent over my plate of fish sticks, potatoes, celery sticks with peanut butter, and some weird type of baby doughnut with cream in the middle and chocolate on the outside. Trowa is nibbling on the celery, eating it even though I know he doesn't like how peanut butter tastes. I am trying the fish sticks, never having eaten them before. I know, from reading books with Wufei, that there are very little, skinny fishes. Is that what they use to make these? I look up at Duo, a fish stick in my hand.

"Are these made from little skinny fish?"

Duo blinks, staring at my fish stick. "What?"

"Those little fish in my book. Are we eating them? I don't know how else a fish can be in here," I tell him, biting into the fish stick. Duo chuckles, lifting one from his plate and breaking it in half.

"No, these are big fish, that are cooked and then made into tiny pieces so that they fit in, see?" I look inside his fish stick as he pulls out some of the fish. It breaks off in flakes, and I feel my nose wrinkle. That's gross, and  _mean_.

"How could they do that?!" I shriek, dropping my fish stick and backing up from my plate, my chair legs making a loud noise on the floor. Duo's laughing now, his head on the table inside his arms, where Trowa is shaking his head. Trowa stands up, moving over to me. I hiss as his hand touches my plate, but all he does is take the fish sticks off. I snatch my plate back from him, arm curling around it and baring my teeth. He throws the fish sticks in the trashcan, never saying a word.

I eat the rest of my food. I don't think I want to eat fish sticks again.

After we finish dinner, I watch as Duo pulls off the shiny wrapping paper, waiting to see how he will like the present. I wasn't sure how much he would like it, but Trowa says that Duo is sent-tee-men-tal, so he will really like it. I don't see how a picture is sent-tee-men-tal, but Trowa says it is. Trowa found the picture, and I picked out the frame to put it in, so it's a gift from both of us. When he pauses, fingers still holding the wrapping paper, I keep my eyes on his face. I don't see a change, though I feel something is different. Like a 'click.'

I know things will be better now.

Duo sets the frame down, reaching out to Trowa. Trowa moves, leaning into Duo, and they do the weird kissing thing. Aunt and Uncle would do it, sometimes, when they were happy or Aunt had too much of the funny-smelling stuff. I know Trowa tries to not do the kissing stuff with Duo when I'm around, though I don't know why, but maybe since today's about Duo it's okay. It makes Trowa happy to do it, so I wish he would do it more, with or without me there.

I get up, ready to go back into my room. I don't get past the table though, when an arm sneaks out and pulls me into Duo and Trowa, letting me join in a hug. They aren't kissing anymore, though Duo does kiss my forehead after brushing my bangs away. I close my eyes, leaning against Trowa.

I'm glad everyone's home now. It's better this way.

* * *

"So whatcha hidin' in here, Davvy?" Duo asks, and I place my finger against my lips, pulling open the bottom drawer of my dresser. I lift out a small box, giving it to Duo. He lifts the lid off, raising an eyebrow. He pulls out the broken phone I found when cleaning, the one that Trowa used to have before I made it go bad on accident.

I point to the ground, and Duo sets the phone down, like I want him to. I crouch, staring hard at the phone, my nose scrunching as I focus on it. This is the first time I'm trying to do it on purpose, and even if I made other things do it, I didn't do it like this before. I hope it works. Duo kneels next to me, an excited look on his face.

"You say you miss it lots, so I make it happen for you," I tell him, my voice quiet as I'm still focusing hard on the phone. I can smell it working, so I focus harder, *wishing* harder for it to blow up. But not a big blow up, just a small one.

It works. As the phone shatters, it doesn't burst into flames, or set off the smoke detector. Duo's hand on my head warms me, along with his praise.

"Good work! That must have been hard."

"Not…like I thought," I admit. "Thought it would…take more."

"Thanks, Davvy," Duo whispers, hugging me. I smile, hugging him back.

* * *

I make breakfast for everyone. I eat my own pancakes, content with the familiar habits of both Trowa and Duo. Trowa eats slow, while Duo eats very fast. It's funny to watch, because when Duo empties his plate quickly he tries to steal Trowa's after. It's fun to watch, to see if Duo will win, or if Trowa will defend his plate and not let Duo win.

I am happy everyone's home. I'm happy everything's normal again. I want to keep it forever, even if I have to go to the freaky school place. I have to be a freak there, but I can be normal at home. I want that to stay the same. Always.

Breakfast ends with Trowa winning the game. Duo helps Trowa clean the breakfast dishes, before kissing him goodbye and leaving for work. Trowa doesn't have work today, and we spend the day together. When my show on the telly is over, we eat lunch before going to the park and playing. I don't play with the other kids there, instead making shapes in the sandbox. Trowa is good at making towers, and he shows me how to make a house in the sand. It's a little house, too little for me to go in. Before we go back home, I put a beetle inside the house.

Everyone should have a home.

* * *

"Why do you not wish to eat the food?" Wufei asks me, watching as I shove away my plate and take my glass instead. The sandwich has dead cow on it. I'm not eating a dead cow. A  _shredded_  dead cow. My stomach twists at the thought, and I drink more juice.

"David?" Wufei presses, and I frown.

"It… it's not nice. It's not nice to do to the cow. Why did they kill the cow? Cows give milk, why kill it and eat it?"

I watch Wufei's face, waiting for an answer. His eyebrows are scrunching together, making the skin wrinkle between them as he frowns, setting down his sandwich. His elbows are now resting on the table, hands coming together in front of his face and fingers twisting together for his chin to rest on them as he watches me back. I feel my throat tighten, forcing myself to keep my eyes on his. I don't care if it's bad of me, what they did to the cow is even badder.

"Some cows are raised to be eaten. Not all cows become dairy cows."

He flinches as I feel my horror grow. My voice rises high, squeaking on some of the words that come out.

"They raise them just to  _kill them_?!"

"That is their purpose in life. To provide nourishment for other creatures. Some are to raise more cows and to provide milk. Leather also comes from cows, to provide shoes, clothing, belts, bindings, and other necessary uses."

"Their purpose is not to die! No one deserves that!"

I ignore Wufei for the rest of his time over here. When Trowa gets home from work, I go over to him and bury my face in his leg, gripping him with a death grip.

Why are people so cruel?

* * *

"So now what?" Duo asks, leaning back in his chair. They're trying to get me to eat the poor animals still, and I can't do it. I can't do it to them, even if they can't go back to being alive. It's not right.

"What is there to discuss? If David wishes to not eat meat, then that's what will happen. I won't force him to," Trowa replies, coming back to the table with my new plate. There's just salad on it, with some fruit and a roll on it. The pieces of chicken that Trowa made are not on it, and I feel myself feeling better. I won't be mean and eat them, like other people.

"Well, I guess," Duo laughs, ruffling my hair. It falls into my face, making me frown and push it back. It's always getting in the way now, and it's annoying.

"If you wish to not eat meat, then that's your choice," Trowa tells me, and I nod.

"Hell, why not? Just another quirk in our little quirky family," Duo teases, and I frown.

Is this not… normal then? Is it normal to kill things for no good reason, to eat things that once lived?

Is that what is normal?

' _I guess I can't ever be normal_.'

* * *

"Not many people see it like that," Nick tells me, as I wipe at my face with my sleeve. He hands me a box of tissues, and I take them.

"Why not?" I demand, bunching up a handful of the thin paper and wiping at my nose.

"You are more sensitive and aware to things like this. Most people look at animals, and see them below humans. To them, killing another human is bad, but animals don't fall into that same picture. You've been exposed to many cruel things, and so you don't like anything to suffer, even animals."

"…I made friends with a snake, when I lived with Uncle and  _her_ ," I whisper, "she was a snake, Saasha. She was my only friend… and A- A-  _she_  did something to make her hurt, to go away… I know they can feel. They have minds, feelings, a life, and I don't know why anyone would want to end it to be selfish and  _eat_  them." I can feel the horror in my voice, showing how I feel about this.

"You aren't the only one, David. There are other people who think it is mean to eat animals, and they don't do it. They are called vegetarians or vegans, and that means they don't eat animals."

"Why can't everyone be vegee-tear-eons?" I wonder, and Nick shrugs.

"Because everyone is different, and think different things. They think nothing is wrong about eating meat, you think differently. Neither of you are wrong, just see it different."

"So I'm… normal still? I'm not weird?"

Nick stretches his legs, looking me in the eye.

"It is perfectly normal to feel like this." His words make me cry again.

* * *

Trowa told Quatre and Heero about my  _vegetarianism_. That word means I don't eat meat anymore, or so Wufei says. I practiced how to say it too, so I can tell people right. They don't think I'm weird about it either, not like Duo did. When Quatre heard, gave me a new cookbook. It is food that doesn't need meat. I have fun looking through it, learning how many different kind of foods don't have to have meat to eat it. Heero gave me a book too, but it a different kind of book. It's just a bunch of papers stapled together at the top.

"Meat sub- sub-" I stumble, not able to make out the word.

"Meat substitutions," Heero reads, "protein is a necessary dietary need for a healthy developing body, which is found commonly in meats. As you show no desire to consume this source of protein, I have compiled a list of alternative protein sources. This way your desires can be honored while still maintaining a healthy body."

I blink, most of his words going over my head. Duo sniggers, shoving Heero lightly.

"He's sayin' that he made you a list of foods that give you the things that meat did, without anythin' havin' ta be killed."

"Oh.  _Arigatou_ ," I say, carefully pronouncing the word I studied hard. It means 'thank you' in Heero's real language. Heero nods his head, replying in English.

"You are welcome."

I grin, hugging my gifts. I am normal, for now. Until school, then I'll be weird again. But here, at home, I am normal.


	13. Overlapping

"So here's his acceptance letter," William tells Trowa, handing it to him. It's a fat envelope, but it doesn't look like the envelopes that come in the mailbox. I watch as Trowa passes it to Duo, who comes over and sits next to me. Duo puts the envelope in front of me, but I don't open it. Not yet.

Quatre and William came over today to talk with Trowa about my school. Or the school I should be going to, which is William's old school. The teacher lady can't come back right now, because she's working to make me be able to go with the rules Trowa is making for me. He wants me to be able to come home a lot, and to still be able to talk to Nick every week. The teacher lady wants the same thing too, so she has to make it so that the school-leader-person agrees with us. William talks to her and then talks to us about what she says.

"Will he be able to attend, then?" Trowa is asking, and I listen with half of my attention, working on the homework Wufei told me to do. I am learning big words now, and I use the dictionary Trowa tried to teach me how to read from.

"There are still some matters that are being worked out," William answers, "but either way, having his school supplies can't hurt. If he goes, he'll have them. If he doesn't, I can help him here with his school materials."

"So he doesn't have to go then, right?" Duo pipes in, sounding bored. I know he isn't, even though he sounds like he is. He sounds bored a lot, but when he doesn't, he sounds excited. He doesn't sound like he feels, and it confused me before I learned his voice lies.

"It would be best for him to go, I'm not a great teacher," William admits, "but it won't be the end of the world if he can't."

"Okay then," Duo murmurs, poking at my letter. I know he's curious, but I'm not. I don't want to open it. It ends the normality I've reached. It marks me as a freak, forever.

Once I open that letter, there's no going back.

* * *

When I open the letter, Trowa lets me sit on his lap. Duo's pressed next to him, letting all three of us see the letter. My hand's shaking as I break the weird-sticker-thing on the back, but Trowa doesn't help me open it.

I have to do it myself. This is  _my_  letter, after all.

I pull the heavy paper out, being careful not to rip or hurt it. There's a couple sheets in there, but I read the top one first.

"M R Barton," I read aloud, feeling relief. I don't have to be the  _other_  name. The one I don't think of. I still get to be me. But they still got my first name wrong. How strange.

" _Mister_ ," Trowa corrects softly, tapping the Mr. on the page. "That is a short way of writing  _mister_."

"Oh." I start over, feeling more excited.

"Mr. Barton, you have been invited to attend Hogwarts School of… I don't know what that says," I admit, and Trowa tells me.

"Witch-craft and Wizard-ree," I keep going, after Trowa lets me know. We continue reading the letter, Trowa helping me with the words I don't know. Under the first letter is a list of school supplies, Duo having comments on nearly all of them.

"These magic people have weird names. At least yours is normal," Duo says, and I stare at him.

"I am normal, so I have a normal name," I remind him.

"You're as normal as you need to be," he corrects, grinning, and I frown.

"I  _am_  normal," I protest.

"No one's normal, Davvy, 'cause everyone's different. T'be normal, someone needsta be th'one everyone else's 'poseta be like. There's no way t'pick a single 'normal' person, so you're s'normal as y'needta be!"

I don't respond. I don't understand. I  _am_  normal. Just with some weird parts.

* * *

"So this is just one entrance between our two cultures," William is telling Quatre and Trowa. I'm holding Trowa's hand tightly, pressing myself against his side tightly to make sure I don't lose him. He keeps an arm around me too, to make double-sure we stay together.

Quatre and William are taking me and Trowa to get learning things for my freak school. Duo, Wufei, Heero, and Relena are not here, because William thinks we will draw too much attention being together in a large group. I'm not happy that Duo can't come, because he really wants to see the freaky place. A lot more than I do, anyways. But Trowa promises that Duo will come with us next time. It will be just Trowa, Duo, and me; no one else. I'm excited.

The place to get inside isn't far from where Trowa and Duo work. Looking around, I can see the coffee store that Uncle took me to the day I went home with Trowa. It's on the corner, and I press closer to Trowa, closing my eyes tightly.

' _I don't care. I'm with Trowa now. It no matter.'_

"Ready?" Trowa murmurs, rubbing my neck. I nod, peeking at the old gross building. One that I've seen before in Tom's head.

Trowa's presence against me helps me see the Leaky Cauldron as David, and not Tom. The inside looks the same, so it makes it harder. I grip Trowa's hand tighter to help me. He squeezes back, humming softly.

"Now, when we get through the back, it will look like a small alley with nothing in it. I'll teach you a trick to get into Diagon Alley," William says, pushing the back door open. William's right, it doesn't look like it goes anywhere. William reaches into his pocket, and Trowa's arm twitches in my grip. I loosen my hands, not sure of what Trowa wants. When William pulls out a stick, Trowa's fingers lace back into mine, letting me know I can grab him again. I can see Quatre relaxing too. Sometimes they get weird like this, but I don't know why.

William points to one of the bricks with his stick. "This is the one that gets you inside. When you get your wand," he wiggles the stick in his fingers, letting me know that is what the stick really is, "you will be able to get inside yourself. Trowa and Duo won't be able to get in unless you're here, because they don't have wands. Understand?"

I nod, memorizing where the brick is at. Wufei says I'm really good at remembering things like this, and that it's a good thing. He told me it's how I learn so fast.

When William taps the brick with his stick- his wand, the bricks start to sink into themselves. I grip Trowa's hand tighter, Tom trying to make me see things from when  _he_  walked into this place for the first time.

Trowa's hand brings me back. It's harder to think I'm Tom when Trowa's with me, because Tom had no one. I had no one until Trowa. Tom never had anyone, ever.

When the wall opens up all the way, William lets us step through first. Trowa hesitates for a moment before walking, and I follow him, keeping my eye on William as we walk past him. Trowa doesn't trust him, I can tell. I'll be watching him for Trowa.

The walk down the busy street is overwhelming. With so many sounds, colours, people, and  _things_  to look at, it's hard to try to keep my eyes on everything at once. Trowa brushes my hair back, tucking my bangs behind my ear.

"What did you and Wufei learn about this morning?" he asks me, and I concentrate on thinking of that. Trowa does this when we go to the store, because I have a hard time there too. Trowa's smart like that.

"Wufei taught me how to blow up a potato," I reply, and Trowa chuckles. I grin up at him.

"So is that how mashed potatoes got on the ceiling?" he teases, and I bite my lower lip. Oops, I thought we got everywhere...

"Ssh, I told Wufei I wouldn't tell on him," I whisper, and Trowa laughs, hugging me closer to him. I grin, hiding my face in his leg. I don't need to watch everyone, Trowa's here.

* * *

William works at the bank. Well, he works with the bank like Trowa works with Wufei; same boss people, different jobs. William goes and find things for the...  _things_  that own the bank.

Because William works at the bank, he's talking to the...  _thing._  Goblin. It's as tall as I am, and very scary-looking. I'm not looking at it, I don't want to make it mad at me.

William is a special type of parent, from what Trowa's telling me. He does Trowa's job with this...  _magic_  stuff. But William is going to still let Trowa be my real dad. Trowa gets to tell William what to do.

Which is how it's  _supposed_  to be.

-break-

"So what first?" Quatre asks me, looking over my shoulder to read my list. I shrug, handing it to him. None of it makes sense.

"So which of these does he need to be there for, and which ones can we get while he's at the ones he needs to be at?" Quatre looks at William as he's asking, and I glance at Trowa. Trowa looks back, a tiny non-grin showing. I tug at his sleeve, and he leans down a little so I can whisper better.

"He drank Duo's cup?"

Trowa nods, and I nod too. It makes sense now. He was really quiet at first, and now he's hyper. When Duo's bored, he will make his cup go to Quatre, and take his cup instead. Then Quatre acts weird.

It's fun to watch. I'm not sneaky enough to do it myself though.

"He needs to be there for the uniform fitting, and to get his wand. Everything else can be gathered by someone else," William decides, handing the letter back to me. I fold it carefully, trying to get the wrinkles where William and Quatre's fingers touched the paper away. I don't like wrinkles.

"Point out the uniform shop and the... wand shop and we will go get those, if you wish to gather the other supplies," Trowa says, and I tug at his sleeve.

"I know where they are," I whisper, not meeting his eyes.

"Quatre, Bill, never mind. David saw them on the way in," Trowa corrects, and we say farewell to go get our things. I feel my heart pounding, because I know Trowa lied. He knows I didn't see them. I think I'm in trouble.

"Have you been here before?" Trowa asks, slowing down so we can talk easier. Quatre and William are far enough away that they won't hear him. I feel my throat tighten, but Trowa just rubs his thumb along the back of my hand. I take a deep breath, and then shrug.

"Only... only when I'm asleep."

"Is it as Tom, or Mylord?" Trowa keeps asking. He knows that they are different, but the same. I think he understands better than I do.

"Tom. He... he came here too. He did this, he went... to the school place... too. I... My head hurts," I whimper.

"Is there anything different from his visit than what we see now?" I nod, pointing at the store next to us.

"That wasn't there. And the old lady, she was... not old."

"So everything is older?"

"Yeah."

"So where is the uniform shop?" I point down the road, giving directions. When we get to the doors, I look up at Trowa.

"This place is older too."

"That's okay. We still found it," he reassures me. I let Trowa lead me inside, looking around at the different clothes. They all look like weird dresses. I see some pants, but not a lot. I hope my uniform has pants.

"Ah, your son? Have a seat, we'll get to you as soon as one of the platforms clear," the lady tells Trowa. I take a seat, letting my legs dangle as I watch the large lady throw the dress-looking pieces over one of the girls on the platform in the middle. It's interesting to watch someone do the... freaky stuff in a not-freaky way.

I frown when I see the dress-cloth go onto one of the boys on the platform. I don't want to have to wear that, I'll get teased. Probably by Duo. I pull on Trowa's sleeve and point at the blond boy.

"I'll take care of Duo," he reassures me, and I go back to watching. Trowa doesn't lie to me. Only other people.

When the girl leaves, I get to go stand on the platform. The lady takes out her bendy ruler for a little before tossing a piece of dress-cloth over me too. I don't like it.

"I don't want to wear a dress," I tell her quietly, and she shakes her head.

"It's not a dress, it's a robe," she explains, pinning the fabric. The other boy is getting down, the dress-thing gone.

"It looks like a dress," I mumble, my cheeks flushing.

"When it's closed, it does look like a weird muggle dress," she agrees, "but the male robes open in the front, where female robes are closed. See?" She taps one of the racks, and I can see how it opens when I pull at it.

"It can close up like an overcoat, or be left open and the clothes underneath show. But at Hogwarts, it's required to be closed during class times. When classes are over, or it's a weekend, they can be left open instead."

"So, it's not a dress?" I confirm. She nods, and I relax.

"Now let's get you finished, I'm sure your dad's getting bored over there," she teases, giving me a wink. I flush red.

No one's ever called Trowa my dad before. I like it.

* * *

I give Trowa the directions to the wand shop. It doesn't look older from when Tom saw it too. I tell Trowa that. He laughs at me.

The inside looks the same too. Lots of dust and dark. The store owner is the only thing in here that looks different.  _He_  looks older. It helps me remember that I'm not Tom right now.

"Ah, Mr. Potter," he starts saying, but Trowa corrects him.

"His name is Barton. Please be considerate." The store owner looks at me for a few long moments, before smiling.

"Mr. Barton, a pleasure. Now, let's help you find your wand, shall we?"

I don't know what wand-shopping should feel like, but I don't think I thought it was like this. Isn't it like getting a new phone? Trowa just found one he liked, and he got it. The ones  _I_  like here don't work. Tom didn't take long to get his wand, it was the one he liked.

It takes a long time, but I finally get to leave with my new wand. Mr. Ollivander (he told me his name when we were trying to find the wand that liked me) talked to Trowa for a little after, then Trowa paid him. I don't think Trowa likes Mr. Ollivander.

I help Trowa find the exit back into the regular London, though we test to make sure I can get us back in. Quatre and William are waiting for us, We aren't finished yet, but Trowa wants us to eat lunch before we finish. I eat some weird pasta thing, after making sure nothing  _bad_  is in it. Trowa's eating the same thing I am.

When we finish eating, we go back into the freaky street place. There are a couple places that William and Quatre haven't gone to yet, and we go to those places.

Inside one place is very gross. There's dead things everywhere.  _Everywhere_. I feel my stomach twist as we go inside, and I need to breathe through my mouth. It tastes as nasty as it smells.

Duo would  _hate_  it in here.

"This is an apothecary. One of the subjects taught is Potions, where these are used."

I don't think I'll like Potions much.

Trowa, Quatre, and William are talking to the guy behind the counter. I'm trying to not think of what the things in the buckets used to be. I can feel someone stand next to me, and it isn't Trowa.

"I saw you in Madam Malkin's, but I didn't get to introduce myself. I'm Malfoy, Draco Malfoy," the boy says, not even giving me time to think. I just stare at him for a few moments, and he stares back expectantly.

"Did you hear me? I'm Draco Malfoy. Who are you?"

I can feel my chest tightening. He's talking too  _fast_ , and not even  _Duo_ -fast. Just... fast. I can't keep up.

"I know girls get shy, but-"

I duck as the jar next to his head explodes. I cover my head as the ones next to it explode too. I can feel Trowa's hand on my arm, pulling me to him.

"Breathe, relax, concentrate," he whispers, and I obey.

The store's a mess, and the boy - Draco - is staring at me. It's not friendly this time.

"What did you  _do?_ " he's asking me. I open my mouth, my brain catching up.

"David. I'm... I'm David Barton."


	14. Delicate

_**Delicate** _ _(adj)_

requiring careful handling, ( _1:_ easily unsettled or upset _2:_  requiring skill or tact  _3:_ involving matters of a deeply personal nature).

_– Merriam-Webster Dictionary_

* * *

"You got banned from the store?" Duo asks me, his eyes widening when I nod to say yes. When William and Quatre came home, they told me and Trowa that I can't go back in the store. When Duo came home, Trowa told Duo too, with a funny non-smile on his face. I'm not sure why Trowa had to tell Duo, but I don't dare ask.

Duo cheers, holding his hand out to me. His palm is facing upwards, in a strange place if he wanted to smack me.

"Gimme a high-five, buddy! Your first banning!"

I stare at the hand, unsure of what he is wanting. I'm not sure why he's so…  _excited_  either. That's the word I think I want to use, because it fits how he's acting. But it doesn't make  _sense_  for him to be excited about me getting kicked out of the store.

"You slap your hand against his," Trowa tells me. I do what he says, feeling a little silly. Duo sticks his tongue out at Trowa.

"You may have one store under your belt, but I'm still beating ya," Duo brags. "If you wanna beat my record, gotta at  _least_  get ten more."

I blink, feeling once again thrown off balance. Duo isn't making fun of me, is he?

"He's serious," Trowa whispers loudly. It doesn't make sense for him to do that, because Duo can still hear him like that. "Why do you think he stays home whenever we go to the store?"

"Burglars," I honestly reply, and it makes Duo laugh. I frown, crossing my arms. "Stop laughing at me!"

"S-sorry Kiddo, it's not  _you_  I'm laughing at," he breathes, looking at me. "Has Wufei taught you what irony means yet?"

"…No," I answer, feeling stupid. Duo gives a grin that Wufei  _did_  teach me about. It's called the 'Nothing Good Can Come of This' grin.

"Irony is when… uh… Damn, how to explain?" Duo trails off, clutching a hand to his chin. Trowa snorts softly, running a hand through my hair before talking for Duo.

"When something's ironic, or someone's using irony, it means that what's being said is different from what's happening."

I don't understand. Trowa's still talking though, so maybe he'll tell me.

"Remember when Duo tried to make us dinner after seeing Nick last week?" I nod, to show that I did.

"Do you remember what I said?"

"You said it looked yummy," I recite, and Duo nods, his head going really far up and down.

"Trowa was using irony, 'cause it was all burnt and gross looking. It's a way that's silly or sarcastic."

I know what sarcastic is. Wufei says it's a language that Duo uses a lot and is very good at. I don't know how to speak it though.

"So you staying home to stop burglars is funny, because you're stealing it yourself?" I wonder, unsure of how that is true. He lives here, he already owns it too. Duo's laughing again, which means I'm not right, and Trowa rubs my back with a smile of his own.

"Don't worry about it, now Duo's just being silly too."

I go back to colouring my book, ignoring Duo. He's  _always_  being silly.

* * *

"So can he go or not?" Duo's talking to the Witch teacher. Witches are females, and Wizards are males. It says so in my book. The book is really good, so it must be true. And it's nicer than calling her a freak. The book never calls anyone that, so I'm not going to use it. But I don't think Witch is a nice thing to call people either. In Wufei's history books, people  _burned_  Witches! I didn't like that book.

"There are a few concerns about altering the program," she answers, and I make sure my frown isn't showing on the outside. I know what that word means.

"'Splain it t'me, then." I wish Trowa would take over for Duo. Duo gets angry really fast, and the Witch teacher can't handle Duo's anger. No one but Trowa or Heero can. But Trowa keeps sitting there, giving the Witch teacher a scary face.

"There are many delicate factors, and some are harder to adjust to suit your son's needs," she's saying, and I curl my hands on my pants. I know what  _that_  word means too. William used it before we went shopping. I asked Wufei when we did our school time this morning, and I don't like that word.

"I'm not delicate," I mumble, my face resting on Trowa's shirt. We're sitting on the sofa with me leaning against him. He looks down at me, brushing my bangs back. I look up at him, a little angry at Duo and the Witch teacher.

"I'm  _not_  delicate," I repeat, and he gives a small nod.

"I know you aren't," he reassures me. "Why don't you tell them that?"

I look down, taking a couple breaths. They're still talking (Duo's starting to get loud), so I stand up. Duo looks over at me, and I give him a frown. He stops talking, and so does the Witch teacher. They're both looking at me now, and I try to not sit back down.

"I'm not delicate," I say again, and Duo smiles the smile he saves for winning an argument with Wufei or Heero. He gives a thumb up, but on the side that the Witch teacher can't see.

"I—" she starts, but I'm not going to let her make excuses. Excuses are bad.

"I'm not weak! I won't break easily!" I start, and Duo steals my seat, sitting behind me and next to Trowa.

"He sounds like a mini-Wuffer," Duo whispers, and I hear Trowa snort. I don't turn around though.

"I'm not a woman, I'm not weak!" I stamp my foot, crossing my arms and glaring at her.

Trowa's laughing quietly, and I hear Duo tell Trowa, "Maybe a bit too much like Wu..."

"I think, ma'am," Duo breaks in, gently placing a hand over my open mouth – I wasn't done yelling at her yet – "He's saying that you don't need to think so hard about this. Dave's a pretty tough kid, and Tro, well, he's a bit anally overprotective."

Trowa doesn't respond to the obvious jab at him, instead ruffling my hair. I give him a wide grin.

"The problem I'm having," the Witch teacher tells Duo, "is convincing the other staff that the small adjustments that I feel can be made are necessary. Some say if your son is so much in need of them, then he should receive his education here at home. Others don't think that the changes are necessary, since many children experience homesickness, and I'm merely trying to cater to, excuse the insult, ignorant Muggles."

"Well, tell them to shove it up their collective—"

"The changes aren't drastic, but still necessary for David to adjust and adapt to the new situation. They don't need to be permanent. Will that make a difference?" Trowa cuts Duo off, without getting all loud and angry. He's very calm right now, I can feel it. Duo can feel it too, because he's all calm again.

"Most wizards don't understand child abuse cases, Mr. Barton. It's hard to make them see the need."

"Do any of these wizards who teach at your school understand it? Or any that you are acquainted with? Maybe bringing in support for your argument can help build a better case. Show them that David's situation is not typical of general homesickness, and that severe repercussions can take place."

"'Sides, if Dave or your school can't take the pressure, Bill can give him lessons here at home. Then your stuck-up asshole—"

"Then the arrangement is no longer a concern, and your school returns to normal standards and functions." Trowa keeps having to make Duo stop talking. Wufei told me once that Duo doesn't play well with others when there's stupid people playing with him, and Trowa helps him play better. Duo and Trowa are weird sometimes, but I still like them a lot.

"I will keep doing what I can for your son, don't be concerned about that. I merely wish to let you know of the concerns being brought up," she says, with the same type of calm Trowa uses. I curl up between Duo and Trowa, resting my head back on Trowa's side. Looking up at him, I smile a little bit.

"I told her the truth," I whisper, and he gives me a pat on the cheek. I feel all warm inside.

"You did," he assures me, and I grin.

I can do this. I really can.

* * *

"So here's the skinny," Duo declares, dropping into a chair next to Trowa. Duo went over to Quatre's house today to find out how I'm going to school, and met Trowa and me out at Trowa's favourite diner. They have yummy ice cream here!

"So you're gonna go in the mornin' for th' classes, an' come home right 'fore dinner. You're still gonna go t'a 'House' like the others, but you ain't havta sleep there," Duo tells me, stealing one of Trowa's fries and dipping it in my milkshake. I make a face at him, tugging my shake closer to me.

"If ya wanna sleep there a night, ya can. When ya think ya can stay there every night, ya can. If ya do tha', and wanna come home on a bad night, ya can. Ya ain't gonna go to class when ya gotta see Nick."

"Sounds reasonable," Trowa murmurs, handing Duo another fry. I put a hand over my milkshake before he can steal any of  _my_  food. He sticks his tongue out at me, taking a bite of the fry after.

"An' if ya get in trouble an' have a detention—"

"It's like a special kind of time-out," Trowa cuts in, noticing my worry. I relax. Time outs are different than punishments. Aunt did punishments, Trowa does time-outs.

"Yeah, but ya gotta stay an' do those, an' ya'd come home after," Duo finishes, and I nod, understanding.

"How I get there and back?"

"Bill'd take ya. He's the go-to guy for all this. We have problems, Bill gets to go fix 'em for us."

I take a sip of my shake, trying to ignore the weird feeling in my stomach. I can  _do_  this. I don't need Trowa to be there too.

I don't need Trowa to take me. I just want him to.

"You'll do fine," Trowa says quietly, brushing my bangs back. They hide my face now when I look down a little. I do that a lot. "You're strong, inside and outside. You can do this."

I nod, repeating Trowa's voice over and over in my head.

' _I can do this. I can do this. I can do this.'_

"So let's stop the gloom-and-doom party an' have a fun night out!" Duo cheers, snatching the last fry from Trowa. I watch as Trowa gives him a pretend glare, before pushing his plate away. Trowa saved those fries for Duo, so I know he isn't mad. The wink he gives me tells that too.

The 'fun night' is going to see a movie. I don't get most of it, but it's fun to watch anyways. After that, we go to a really big playground that's  _inside_. It even has a bouncy floor in one area. Duo and Trowa wrestle on the bouncy floor, and that's even more fun than playing on it.

I like watching them play together; they always seem so happy doing that.

When we get home, I'm so tired I don't take my bath like I'm supposed to. I brush my teeth, change my clothes, and climb into bed. It doesn't take me long to get to sleep, and for the first night I can remember, Tom or Mylord don't bother me. I don't remember what I dream about, but I don't feel tired in the morning.

* * *

"So you start your special classes next month?" Nick asks me, and I shrug, stacking another block onto my growing tower. It doesn't seem  _real_  to me, so I don't feel anything. I'm not excited, not really.

How can I be excited to want to be away from Trowa? I explain this to Nick, and he's quiet for a little.

"David, you've never had much to look forward to before. When you lived with your aunt, she didn't let you have fun or excitement. You've learned to do that with Trowa and Duo. It's not strange for you to not feel excited about starting school or for it to not 'feel real.'"

"Duo's more excited than me," I say softly. "I think he wants to go more than I do."

"But  _do_  you want to go?" Nick asks, and I reply immediately.

"Yes! I do, but… I don't know if I'll  _like_  it, like everyone wants me to."

"Like I just said, you've never been in this spot before. You don't have anything to remember feeling this way about. It's brand new, and you won't know until you get there. You have as much of a chance to like it as you have to  _not_  like it. Did you think you'd like living with Trowa?"

"…No."

"But do you?" Nick presses, and I bite my lip, nodding. "So there's some proof that you might like school. You don't have any school memories to remember liking, so you don't know what you'll like or not like about it. Everyone likes something different, or doesn't like something, that other people might instead."

"Like eating animals," I mumble, and Nick laughs.

"Exactly like that. So, give this school a chance before you give up on it, okay?"

"Okay." My tower tumbles over as I put the red triangle on top.

I still don't feel excited about going.


	15. Stepping Away

"Come on, time to go," Trowa says, handing me my bag. It's a bag that Quatre and William got me for school, and I can keep my books in it. I have a trunk I can keep at school, but I will be using my bag more. The books I don't use in my classes each day can stay in the trunk, along with other things I might need there.

Today is my first day at that new school, and I'm not sure I still want to go. Trowa and Duo are going to take me to the train station, and William's brother is going to ride the train with me. It's the one I like, Percy, so that's not too scary. All the other kids that will be on the train are scarier to me.

"I wish I could go," Duo whines, and Heero slaps him across the head.

"You do not meet the prerequisites to be eligible for enrollment," Heero reminds Duo. I grab Trowa's hand, making sure I don't get lost. Trowa's long fingers wrap around my small ones, giving me a tiny squeeze of hope. I can do this. I  _have_  to.

The train station's on the other side of the city, away from where Trowa and Duo work at. William's helping us find the train I need to take, which is hidden from the other trains. Everyone's with me (except Relena because she has to work this morning and can't miss it), and I feel safe. Trowa's friends are scary and strong to mean people, so they won't try to hurt me. Trowa's friends like me and want to keep me safe from those kinds of people. Heero  _promised_  me, and Duo says that's a big deal.

"So, we walk through a pillar?"

Wufei is curious about all the weird stuff, and William likes to talk about it. They're talking quietly though, because normal people aren't supposed to know about the weird people like me and William. We're a secret, but because Trowa and Duo are my new parents, they get to know too. And Heero, Wufei, Quatre, and Relena get to know because Trowa and Duo don't hide things from them. Duo says that they're all family too. I don't really understand it, but Duo's an adult, so he must be right.

Nick knows too, but he has to know because he's going to heal my brain. Trowa says keeping secrets from Nick isn't going to help me feel better, so I told Nick about the weird people. Nick says that's not a nice thing to call them. But they aren't normal people; they  _must_  be weird if they have to be kept a secret. Nick doesn't seem happy with that explanation.

"There's some great magical theory about how a train platform's hidden through a barrier, but I didn't pay attention to that part in class," William confesses to Wufei. "But it has something to do with displacement and relocation theory."

"So it's not the pillar we're walking into, it's more of a door to the real location?"

"Something like that," William agrees. "My old professor could explain it much better." He seems to be embarrassed, but I don't understand why.

"I would be interested in studying the theory and mechanics behind it," Wufei tells William, and the other man nods enthusiastically. I don't think it sounds interesting, but Wufei's smart so I might just not understand.

"Well, here we are. You just walk through this side, and it will bring you to the platform on the other side." I look at the large,  _solid_ , stone pillar with a blank stare. It doesn't look like a door.

"Wouldn't people notice that we're walking through a pole?" Duo wonders, glancing around. I know Duo isn't comfortable, and neither is Heero. They don't like big stores or places. It's why Trowa always goes to the store instead. William glances around too, taking in the crowded train station.

"There's certain enchantments on the 'door,'" he taps the brick pillar as he says the word, "that have different effects. One obviously disguises, but others cause those without the knowledge of what's behind it to glance away and ignore it. Some of those become active when people like David or myself come closer to it."

"Helps keep anonymity," Wufei guesses, "but what about before that? I've noticed the strange manner of dress within David's books."

"Yeah, not much you can do prior to arriving on the platform. We encourage families to dress in clothing that allows them to blend in, before changing to traditional dress after arriving on the train."

"S'what're we waitin' for? Let's go already!" Duo snaps, agitated. Heero isn't looking much better than him. Duo pushes Quatre aside slightly, since Quatre is standing in front of the pillar to listen to William, and walks straight  _through_  it. He doesn't come back out the other side. I take Trowa's hand as he follows Duo's lead, and close my eyes when I feel the  _weirdness_  flow over me. Opening them, I see Duo staring at the train.

It's a big train too, and very bright and shiny. A deep red, with words scrawled along the side. There's steam coming from the top, but not billowing smoke like during Duo's TV programs. Wufei, William, Quatre, and Heero are soon on the platform as well, and we're moving to the side so other people don't slam into us when they come through.

There's still an hour before I have to get on. Trowa takes a seat on one of the green benches, and I sit next to him, still holding his hand. Duo and Heero are on another bench, looking like they're having an argument. Quatre's standing near them, sometimes cutting into their words to share his own. Wufei and William are also talking, but they're still standing up and don't look as angry as Duo and Heero do, or worried like Quatre.

"You okay?" Trowa asks quietly, brushing his thumb along the back of my hand. It's soothing, and I lean into him as he does this.

"I dunno," I admit. "I hav'ta go though." Wufei wasn't happy when I started pushing words together like Duo, but Trowa doesn't seem to care.

"There's other options," he reminds me, and I shake my head.

"Not good ones," I mumble, "not ones that keep you and Duo safe too."

"You'll be home tonight." The reminder of that helps me smile a little, and I nuzzle into Trowa's arm, hissing softly. He just hums, and I close my eyes to relish the contact.

I love my Trowa.

* * *

William's family shows up with twenty minutes until the train's going to leave. His parents are happy to see Quatre, and are talking to him, Duo, and Heero. Wufei is talking to William's brother, Charlie, and it seems as intense as the one he was having with William. Trowa doesn't get up to go join them, his head tilted down and eyes closed. If his hand wasn't still rubbing mine, I would think he's asleep. Trowa doesn't  _sleep_  in front of people though, so that would never happen.

Duo finally breaks off from the big group, and comes and plops down on Trowa's other side. Nudging Trowa, he tells both of us there's only ten minutes before the train's going to leave.

"There's a lady who sells candy and snacks on the train, s'here ya go," Duo says, handing me a small bag. It has some of the  _weird_  money in it, which I have to use with the  _weird_  people.

"So, Davvy, you ready for this?" Duo asks, just like Trowa did earlier. I stare at him, not wanting to say the same thing twice. Trowa already helped me feel better about it, Duo doesn't need to do it too.

"This is gonna be scary," Duo reminds me, "but you already know life's scary. Goin'ta school is a part of normal life."

"Even freaky schools?" I ask, not really believing him, but Trowa nods. Duo's the one who's doing all the talking though.

"Even those'uns. But y'gotta go into 'em with th'right brain game." I tense at the thought of games. Aunt liked games, I didn't.

"...I don't like games," I admit, and Duo just grins at me. He knows a little bit about Aunt's games.

"S'not like yer aunt's. These are game where  _you_  get t'make th'rules. Y'may not always win yer own game, but it teaches ya which rules t'change so y'do."

I think about that. That doesn't sound as terrifying as the games I know. Maybe because it's a game  _I_  get to be in charge of? I didn't like Aunt's games because I could never win, or I wasn't able to know the right rules. But if I'm in charge... then that's not a problem anymore. But what kind of rules can I make? What kind of game can I play? I ask Duo this, and he shrugs.

"There's lots'a games that y'can make. Maybe with yer grades, y'can play it t'make certain ones. How y'play with other kids; what d'ya haveta do t'make 'em do somethin' in r'turn?"

"There is also the possibility of a truth game," Trowa adds, glancing over at Duo. "Duo often enjoys that game himself."

"S'right. Make a game where y'can never lie, but still not tell 'em what y'dun wan'em t'know."

"So when you need to take a break from everything, just think about what games you want to play at school." Trowa's gentle, solid words rush through me, leaving a calm sense of  _'I can do this'_  behind. Duo's bright smile and knowing eyes help make it stick.

"Tonight, when Bill and Q'bean bring you home, tell us th'rules of your new game, okay?" I give a serious nod, gripping my little bag tightly.

"Yes!"

"Then let's get you on the train, so you can come back sooner," Trowa suggests, and he helps me wheel my trunk over to where the loading places are. There's lots of kids saying goodbye to people, some around my age but most much older. Duo ruffles my hair, while Trowa presses his lips to my forehead. Percy comes over, with his twin brothers behind him, and they help lift my trunk onto the train. I hear Duo mutter something about 'wheels,' but I can't hear him that well above the shrilling whistle the train's letting out.

"See you later, kiddo!" Duo calls, and I give a small smile.

It's easier to leave when I know I'm wanted back.

* * *

I find a seat with Percy and his brothers, before Fred and George go to find one of their own friends. Percy doesn't seem to mind me with him, so I stay. I'm still trying to not get too scared about leaving Trowa and Duo, since I'm going home tonight, but it's hard to tell my feelings this. Percy doesn't talk to me, instead pulling out a book. Following his example, I pull one of my schoolbooks out to read it too.

It's a book on plants. I was really excited when I learned that the weird school taught about plant care. It's called Herbology, and it's used in Potions and the care of magical creatures. I haven't read my Potions book yet, since some of the things in there are creepy. Duo  _really_  liked that book though, so he's read it a bit. I like my Herbology book more, and there's lots of interesting plants in there!

Some of them are plants I've read about with Wufei during our plant care sessions. Some are  _like_  them, but a bit different. Some are really strange (some are alive!) and would never be found in my aunt's backyard. There's one that's a vine that will strangle you the more you move, and it's scary. Duo muttered the word 'cool' when reading about it, but Duo's weird. Weird enough to fit into my school.

Opening to where I stopped reading last night, I continue my book, hoping that by reading I won't notice how long I'm away from Trowa. Some of the words are confusing, and I don't understand them; I'm afraid to disturb Percy to ask. Wufei never minds me interrupting him, since 'that is what he is there for,' but Percy isn't Wufei. I glance from the book to Percy a few times, and Percy seems to notice. Setting his book down, he levels me with a look that reminds me of the one I see on Wufei a lot. It's his 'teaching face.'

"Do you have a question?"

"I..." I stumble, trying to picture Percy as Wufei. Wufei's safe to ask questions from; he wants me to learn. "I don't know what this word means."

"Here, let me see." He moves closer, so I can tilt my book to point at the confusing word.

"Oh, that's a spell. Spells are spoken in Latin, not English."

"So this is a Herbology spell?"

"Yes, it's used to provide sunlight without having the sun right there. Some plants that aren't native to England need more sun than what we get naturally, so spells were created to help them live."

"What other spells are there?"

Me and Percy talk about spells for a while - well, Percy talks while I listen - and I notice Percy isn't upset that I'm not letting him read his book. He actually looks happier talking to me than when he was reading. During a break in his words, I ask him why.

"I read to learn, but also because there are not many who are willing to discuss things with me," Percy confides. "I enjoy sharing my knowledge, but not everyone likes hearing what I have to say."

"I think you're smart. I need to become smart here, to stop hurting people on accident." I share a little on how I hurt Duo, and Percy nods.

"Accidental magic can't be helped, but it stops happening when you start using your wand more. I think school will help you control it more. Did Bill ever work out a plan with Hogwarts for you?"

"Yes," I answer. "William will come and bring me to school, and then take me home at night. The Witch- I mean, Professor McGonagall, helped Trowa and Duo figure it out."

"Do you think it will help?" I pause for a moment, looking down.

"I  _need_  to come, but I don't like it. But there's stuff I got to do I don't like. It's learning which ones I  _must_  do and which ones aren't necessary that's still hard. But school is necessary, because I need control. And..." I glance around quickly, "Duo thinks I need to learn something else, but I don't understand that one."

"I think you're doing well," Percy says thoughtfully, "compared to when I first met you. You're talking, for one, and you're more willing to say what's on your mind. I believe you will do well here."

"Thanks," I mumble, embarrassed.

We both keep reading our books through the train ride, getting some candy (with Percy's help) from the lady when she brings the cart to our door. But now if I get confused when I'm reading, I know I can ask Percy to help me. We have a lot of talks about different spells, why I would want to use  _this_  one instead of  _that_ one (even if they seem the same), and which ones help other spells or potions work. We also talk about classes, Houses, and different professors.

"Now, which House you get into affects how the professors will treat you," Percy's explaining to me, "because some show favouritism towards certain Houses. The Potions Master, for example, prefers his own House to others. Understandable, since many do not like members of that House. He also dislikes the House that Professor McGonagall is in charge of, so he tends to treat them poorly. The Herbology professor, Sprout, is rather neutral and accepting of all, as is Professor Flitwick, the Charms instructor."

He also explains about the caretaker and groundskeeper, who are two strange individuals from what I understand.

"Mr. Filch doesn't tend to like people in general, so don't feel bad if he isn't very kind. He has a cat, Mrs. Norris, who is his familiar. Filch takes care of the castle, keeping it clean and neat while also catching troublemakers and enforcing rules. Mrs. Norris helps him catch these troublemakers, so make sure to be on your good behaviour to stay on his decent side. You won't have to worry too much, since you'll be exempt from curfew and such, being home in the evenings. If you end up staying at the castle though, there are times you have to be in bed. And Hagrid is hard to miss," he adds cryptically. I don't get what's amusing about Hagrid, but it must be one of those things I will learn.

He also talks about the different Houses, and the types of people in them. Gryffindor, Percy's House, is for the brave and daring, and their rival House is known for being cunning and ambitious. Hufflepuffs are kind and hardworking, and the Ravenclaws are smart and studious. I don't think I fit into any of them, but Percy gives a thoughtful hum of disagreement - not unlike Wufei when he thinks differently than I do.

"I have a feeling I know where you'll end up. But in the end, you're the one who makes up your mind."

I don't understand what he means, because I'm not smart; Wufei would know what he meant.

He also gives me tips on what I want to study first for the professors.

"Professor Sprout doesn't mind if you come to class uninformed, but Professors McGonagall and Snape both expect hardworking students. Aim to complete their work ahead of time, and leave the more relaxed professors' work for after. Don't worry; you'll get a feel of when to finish things as time goes on."

Talking with Percy helps the time to move quicker, and it also helps me feel better about going. Other kids my age won't be too far ahead, even if they come from families like Percy (who live as weird people their whole lives). No one can start being weird until they go to school, and they can't be weird outside of it either. So we're all at the same level, more or less.

When I see the sky growing darker, Percy informs me it'd be best to change into my uniform. I do so nervously, but Percy keeps his back turned to me. He helps me do the neck tie afterwards, since neither Trowa nor Duo are here to do it for me. I don't think Duo knows how to do it either, since Trowa does it for him when he needs to wear one. Percy shows me how to slide it off enough to not undo the knot, but be able to take it off when I'm done wearing it. Duo should learn that too.

"Then you don't have to re-do it until it becomes too messy," he suggests, and I smile at him.

I like Percy, he's kind. Unlike his twin brothers, or the one my age.

I can't say I like Percy's younger brothers much. When I went with Trowa and Quatre to play with them, they liked to tease each other and be mean more than playing. I think that's  _how_  they played, but I didn't like it. So I would sit with Percy and read his books. Knowing they're weird like me makes what he was reading more understandable; it wasn't a fiction book, just a weird people law book instead.

Percy has to leave and go do 'prefect' things, so I ride the rest of the trip by myself. I spend this time planning my first game: finding out which kids my age to avoid.

I don't want to get to know anyone like Ron, Fred, or George, who are 'mean' kids. I also don't want to know kids who are the type Ron, Fred, and George are mean to, because 'weak' kids drag each other down. I don't want to be a 'weak' kid. I  _can't_ , or else I'll lose the game.

I have to be a 'solid' kid.

When Trowa took me to the park, I never played with the other kids there. I  _watched_  them a lot though, and learned more about them. There were the 'mean' and 'weak' kids, but there was also a third type. The 'solid' kids, who ignored the 'mean' ones. When this happened, the 'mean' kids would go find someone else to be mean to, mainly the 'weak' ones. When two 'mean' kids found each other, they would fight. When they found a 'weak' kid, things were the same, but only one fought. 'Solid' kids were left alone to entertain themselves, or each other.

I'm going to be a 'solid' kid. People can't touch me or bother me then.

Aunt treated me like a 'weak' kid. I know it would have been a lot worse if I always showed her I was one. I didn't succeed all the time in being 'solid' like the kids on the playground, but I wasn't always a crybaby either. Those days I didn't let her see how much she scared me ended up with her leaving me alone sooner. It got easier to do this the longer I was with her. But Uncle got rid of me before I was able to perfect my 'solid' kid mind.

Trowa's helping me with that now, along with helping me forget the mean things Aunt taught me.

Ron, Fred, and George are 'mean.' Percy moves between 'solid' and 'weak,' where William and Charlie are 'solid.'

The strange boy at the Potions store, I don't know what he is yet. I don't know what the other kids at school are yet either. When I find out, I'll put them in a group.

I make these rules, but before I can fully plan my first game, the train's coming to a stop.

I'm at Hogwarts now, and I have to start the game.

* * *

When the train stops, I don't rush out the door. I pick up my bag, leaving the heavy trunk like the voice over the speakers tells me to. It's not hard to find a door, though the crowded corridor in the train gives me pause.

When Trowa goes to the store, he waits for people to stop crowding the aisle before going down it.

"It makes it easier to move, when I'm not fighting them. I don't get there any faster if I have to push, anyways," he explained to me once, when I asked why we were waiting. So with this in mind, I pause to let the corridor empty some before moving into it. Trowa was right, because one kid who kept elbowing people out of the way gets off at the same time I do (I put her into the 'mean' kid section). Unsure of where to go, I hear a loud voice shouting for "First years!" and move in that direction.

Other kids my age are starting to gather around me, different emotions showing on their faces. I can see the ones who are scared (' _weak,'_ my mind tells me),and I see the excited ones, and the ones who don't look like anything. I mimic the not-feeling-anything ones, even though I feel like the ones who look scared. But I can't look like them, because I need to be a 'solid' kid. 'Solid' kids don't show their fear. They don't give people a chance to take advantage of it, like my aunt always did. The less they see the better.

"Yer all 'ere?" the loud voice booms, and I finally see a face to go with it. A very  _large_  face, with wild hair and shiny black eyes. A  _large_  hand holds up an even larger lantern, and the large body leads the way down the platform and into the woods. We're following a trail, some of the kids chatting to each other quietly. When we reach the shore of a lake, I notice some boats, and a castle on the other side. The boats don't look right though, because I don't see any oars.

"No more'n four to a boat!" the large man calls out, and I look at the other kids getting into them.

This is the first test.

I see a boat with three kids inside already. Each one looks bored and relaxed, so I get in with them. One glances at me, but looks away again as our eyes meet.

 _'Do I scare him?'_  I wonder, having seen the nervousness on his face. Maybe he's pretending, like I am, to not be scared. Does that mean other people can see what I'm hiding?

I shove the thought aside. I can't let it ruin my game, not until I'm -  _safe, home, with Trowa_  - done playing for today. When the boat takes off on its own, I realize why the boats don't have any paddles.

They're made to be weird, like the school teaches us to be too.

We glide along the water, none of us talking to each other. That's fine with me; I don't want to talk to them either. It's easier to ignore each other with the castle to stare at. Being on the water, with each movement bringing us even closer, the castle seems impossibly huge towering over us.

It's very beautiful. I know Duo would love to be able to see it, liking pretty things. Each window is lit up brightly, standing out in the darkness of the night. Even if I feel weird coming here, I'd do it again just to see this. It doesn't seem as terrifying, when it's as beautiful as it is right now.

When the large man tells us to duck, I do so obediently. The boats slides under a low tangle of vines (and I can't help but wonder if any of them are the kind that can choke me) before coming to a stop against the shore. I get out of the boat, moving along yet another path to a pair of solid wooden doors. The large man bangs his fist against them with loud  _thud, thud, thud_ s that ring through my skull. Minutes pass before the doors creak open, and the Witch Teacher's there, ready to greet us.

"Well, come on in!" she ushers, and I obey silently. The inside, while not as fascinatingly beautiful as the outside, is interesting in its own way. I see many pictures, staircases, curtains, and statues. The Witch Teacher leads us into a small room off from the hallway, and tells us to wait there until she comes to get us.

I hope it doesn't take too long; I want to go home now.

The whispering starts up again when she leaves, the main question floating around being about Houses. I keep hearing different stories of how we're sorted (some rather stupid, some terrifying), and I don't have anything to add to them. Percy was very adamant on keeping it a surprise, but said that it was perfectly safe. So I don't think Ron's right about wrestling trolls. I also know there's others who don't know any spells, so I don't think we'll have to perform one in front of the school either.

But that leaves out what we  _have_  to do still. I try to not think about it too much, because I won't know until we get there. I think of how proud Trowa would be if he could hear me thinking that.

I  _do_  jump, along with other students, when the dead people pass through. I know they're dead, because they not only come through the wall, I can see right through their bodies too. I think they must be ghosts.

A couple of them talk to us, before moving through again when the Witch Teacher comes back. It's finally time for us to get our Houses.

I pick a spot not at the end of the line, but close to it. Being at the end isn't smart, because people notice me there. Being mixed with other people makes it so I don't stand out. Trowa taught me these things when I went to the store with him. He teaches me a lot about how not to stand out, and Duo even told me that's what Trowa's best at, blending in.

I want to blend in too, so I don't get noticed.

When we're all lined up in a neat row, the Witch Teacher pulls out a roll of paper and lets it curl down to the ground in a manner where Duo would probably say something along the lines of 'wow.'

She doesn't say anything though, instead looking at the tattered piece of cloth on a stool. It reminds me of the hat the Witch Teacher's wearing, but really nasty looking. Enough that Quatre would probably get twitchy (like he does after Duo and Heero go play somewhere). What startles  _me_  the most is not how nasty the hat looks, but that the hat's  _singing_.

I listen to the strange song, recognizing the words from what Percy was telling me on the train. ' _It's explaining the Houses_ ,' I decide, and take the time to examine the different tables. The one near where the Witch Teacher is standing has a lot of old people behind it, so they must be other professors. The ones to each side of me have younger people around them, so it's other students who have to sit there. Each table has colours above it, two of them, and the students sitting there are wearing the same colours.

 _'Is that so people know where they belong?_ ' I wonder, and soon the Witch Teacher is starting to read from the paper she has. They're names, and as one my classmates walks out when hers is read it's not hard to guess that they're the names of us new students.

Which means my name's on there too.

That scares me. What name will they be using? The name Duo and Trowa gave me, or the one my parents did? I didn't know that one, so I don't want them to use it. But as long as they don't use the name Aunt and Uncle gave me, I'll be okay. I'd rather be David though; I don't want to be Harry. I don't know who Harry would be, but I like being David.

"Barton, David!" is called out right after the first girl, and I give a sigh of relief.

I don't have to be Harry.

I step forward cautiously, catching the Witch Teacher's eye. She gives a small nod and smile, and I know she's why I get to be David. I give a smile back, and move up to the chair where the hat is. She motions for me to sit down, and I obey her. When she places the hat on my head, the room goes dark because I can only see the inside of the hat.

I jump when I hear a voice start talking to me.

_"My, what an interesting mind you have here. Rough day?"_

The Voice doesn't seem to be loud or all the way in my head. It's like a loud whisper, deep inside my ear. I wonder if anyone else can hear it.

_"No, this is just you and me in here. Now let's see where you should go, hmm?"_

_'Okay_ ,' I think, since 'here' must be inside my head. A chuckle lets me know I'm right, and the hat starts making comments.

_'Tough choice you are, young Barton. Your Potter heritage runs strong in Gryffindor, but the path to becoming a Barton erased much of that. Your kindness and willingness to work makes a great Hufflepuff, but you're much too cold to others to thrive. So that leaves us with two, Slytherin and Ravenclaw.'_

Slytherin's the rival of Gryffindor, of  _Percy_ , and I don't want to have to fight with Percy. But Ravenclaw's for smart people. I'm not smart.

 _"I wouldn't say that, Mr. Barton. There's a love of knowledge deep in you, coming out more and more as you grow. Not many who are like you would have accomplished what you've done. Being the case, I think you should go to_ Ravenclaw!"

The last word isn't whispered inside my ear, instead shouted outside of it. I know the other students hear it, and the hat's swiped off my head so I can see the cheering students. The ones at the silver and blue table are cheering the hardest, so they must be Ravenclaws. The other table cheered for the new girl like them, and that's where she went to sit.

I join them, picking one of the empty spots at the end. I don't know the people who soon are sitting next to me, but they try introducing themselves. I'm still too dazed to hear them though, so they ignore me after a couple tries.

That's fine, I'm still trying to figure out what the hat meant.

I'm not smart. The hat lied.

I don't belong here.

When all the other new kids are put into Houses, the really old man in the middle of the Adult Table stands up, spreading his hands apart. He must be in charge, since everyone quiets down. I look up at him, unsure of what kind of adult he is.

"Welcome, welcome! Another year has begun, and there are a few rules to go over before we begin our feast."

I glance along the table, not seeing any food. What feast does he mean?

"First, to our new students, the forest is off limits - and a few of our older students should remember this as well. Along the same line, the third floor corridor is also off limits to those who wish to avoid dying a rather horrific death."

A few snickers float across the room, but quickly die out when the teachers don't join in. Is the man serious? Why would they let us be able to die here?

"Contraband and forbidden items are posted on Mr. Filch's door. Please familiarize yourself with this list to avoid detentions. Magic is not to be used in the corridor, so please refrain from doing so. I'm sure there's more I should tell you, but I think our stomachs are winning the fight for our attention. So, let's eat!" He claps his hands, and I find out where the food is.

It pops up suddenly on gold platters filled to the brim, along with gold plates and forks and stuff, and weird-looking cups. A lot of the food is strange to me. I don't know if it's just weird-people food, but other students are taking it. And Duo and Trowa tend to eat the same things a lot, so maybe I've not seen them before because of that.

I take some of the food, sticking to what I know. I put some potatoes on my plate, along with green vegetables and rice. I don't touch the meat, wrinkling my nose at the thought. Even weird people eat living things.

When the dishes disappear, being replaced with desserts, I try some of them too. I like the green creamy pie, and remind myself to ask Trowa what kind of pie it is. Or maybe Duo, since he knows a lot about food.

It's not long after that we're being excused from the hall to go to our dormitories. The Witch Teacher comes to me, whispering quietly in my ear.

"You'll be leaving from your common room, so you will know how to get there. Go with your classmates, and then you'll be going home."

I nod, picking up my bag and following the prefects from my House out through the hallway. There's plenty to look at on the way up, as the pictures  _move_ , a lot more than my textbook ones. And they  _talk,_ which my textbook ones don't do either.

The statues, which are suits of armour, move too. I know they do, because they're always looking at us. Even when we walk by them. I glance back, and yes, they're still looking at us. I quickly turn around, frowning.

When we reach a large door, up at the top of one of the stranger staircases, the prefects pause. We stop to wait, not knowing what to do, but the female prefect turns to talk to us.

"This is the door to our common room. It will open to let you in if you answer the question you are given. They're given by year, so each year has the same type of question. It only gives you a question that you'll be able to learn."

"As you have not started any classes yet, the password is  _'Hatchling_ ,'" the male prefect says, "but it will not be as kind after classes tomorrow." At the boy prefect's word the door swings inwards, showing a room beyond it, and we file in after the two older kids.

They tell us it's time to go to bed, and that we'll be learning more rules throughout the week. I'm glad, because I'm tired and ready to go home.

I wait in the large room as the other kids my age head up the two staircases, the boys up one and the girls up the other. I just sit on the sofa, my legs absently swinging. A gentle, familiar "Hello," breaks through my fixation on the carpet.

I look up into Quatre's face, and manage to smile.

It's time to go home.

* * *

"So how was it, kiddo?"

I stare at Duo, the confusion, terror, and overwhelming  _wrongness_  of today finally catching up with me. I couldn't allow it to when I was playing the Game, but now that I'm home and safe, there's no need to pretend. I let a whine build in my chest, keening lowly while holding out my arms. Duo isn't Trowa, but he'll have to do until Trowa's here.

He doesn't waste a second, his hands reaching under my arms and lifting me to his chest. I latch on, my legs kicking around his stomach while my arms squeeze his neck. I bury my face into his shirt, keening louder. He moves his arms to support me, shifting them under my legs and around my back and he gently rocks side to side, shushing me. I let him do this, even though he isn't Trowa, because right now he's the closest person to Trowa I'm going to get.

I want Trowa. I have Duo. I still want Trowa.

"He'll be out soon," Duo soothes, talking softly. "He's still talking to Q'bean and Bill. It won't be long." I keen again, nuzzling my face into Duo's shirt. He keeps talking to me. I'm not really listening to his words, instead focusing on the way he's rocking. Swaying slowly side to side, his voice blurs into a gentle hum. I can't hear it in my ears, but I feel it in his chest. It's like Trowa's humming, but not as loud.

It's still comforting. I can feel the paralyzing fear going away, the -  _calm, safe, alive, real_  - better feelings taking its place. My tight grip on Duo slackens, but I don't unbury my face.

Duo might not be Trowa, but for now he'll be enough.


	16. In Another's Eyes

He couldn't deny his curiousity when he saw the email from Commander Une. He ignored it, believing it to be a prank from Duo. It wouldn't be the first time, after all. Considering Chang mentioned something about believing Duo more than once - or was it people in general? Heero wasn't certain - it would seem a foolish thing to do. But then again, Chang often spouted many strange sayings that didn't make sense to him.

He was still ignoring the email when he got the phone call. But it wasn't from the Commander.

"Dude, are'ya ever gonna give'n answer or not?!"

Duo never followed the standard procedures of phone etiquette, so it wasn't surprising to have him move straight to the point.

"If I knew what your inquiry was, I could provide a more sufficient response."

"The fuckin' email. Une sent it t'ya last night." Impatience was clear, even with the interference of technological communication between them.

"I doubted the authenticity, thus never reading the contents," Heero dutifully replied; he had promised a sufficient answer, after all. He just didn't promise it would be one that the other man would accept or approve of.

"Dick. Well, anyways, we got permission t'start Phase 3 of our mission." It took a moment for Heero to register what that meant, but he still didn't quite understand. Since when did they require permission?

"I was unaware of the need for approval, having forgone it the last two times."

Duo snorted, "Oh, believe me; I got an earful already 'bout that. Somethin' 'bout kidnappin' bein' illegal or some shit like that. But she was able t'spin it off to th'department 'bout being in a  _'Situation of Opportunity_ ' and  _'obligated to perform my duty as both a Preventer and Child Protection agent.'_ It was great!"

Heero could see the commander doing something like that; despite the animosity between the two, Commander Une had a soft spot for Duo. She'd be willing to stretch the rules (or even twist them to her whim) in order to make his life easier. It was a troubling thought, but he was certain Duo would never take advantage of it; he seemed unaware as to the reason behind her actions. Not to mention he held no positive emotions in regards to her, so he wouldn''t realize this reason without outside assistance.

Duo was his best friend, yes, but that didn't make Heero blind to the shortcomings he often displayed.

"But anyway, back to th'real matter, I'm bein' sent t'check up on my ' _recent placement_ ' along with you, 'cause you helped me find 'im, an' we dun wanna make th'kid nervous n'all that."

Heero couldn't help but wonder if the head of Duo's department saw through the utter bullshit as much as he did.

"I'll call an' let y'know when we get t'go." Duo hung up, and Heero shook his head while ending the call on his end also.

Why did the others keep pressing the importance of etiquette if no one ever followed it?

* * *

"It was weird," David explained to him. "I thought they were plants. Plants don't  _do_  that."

Wufei was listening to David describe his first day of classes. He had come over earlier looking for Duo, to find that he had yet to return. So instead, he helped Trowa put together dinner. When Quatre and Weasley arrived with David, he couldn't turn down the young child's invitation to stay.

"Ah, but these aren't ordinary plants," Weasley reminded David with a wink. "They've been grown with magic."

The child frowned, obviously not happy with that reminder. He lowered his head, looking down at the pasta on his plate as he moved it around.

"When I was a child, I was raised in the ways of my family," Wufei mused, his eyes settling on a point between David and Trowa. He wasn't looking right at the boy, but could see his reaction and movement all the same. "The family had a formal fighting… style that we were taught from a young age. It was to teach not only how to fight, but how to defend ourselves." David looked up at that, eyes fixed on him.

"It also taught us focus. We could find calm in the practice, and it helped us find calm in our lives. It was so much a part of my life, that I didn't realize there were  _other_  ways of fighting." Wufei finally let his eyes meet David's. He knew his amusement was clear, the emotion flowing inside of him at the memory.

"Imagine my surprise the first time I fought M— Duo."

David looked confused, though in the corner of his eyes he could see the mirth on Quatre's face. Trowa looked amused as well, but he wasn't positive; the man was hard to read.

"Duo was raised to learn a different fighting style. It was not formal, structured, or  _anything_  like my family had taught me. So, I stubbornly refused to believe it was fighting at  _all._ " Wufei let himself smile a little, the memory of their first spar clear as glass.

"It took me a long time to allow myself to change enough to see differently. That my family was right, but  _Duo_  was right also. It was hard to accept, being very stuck in my ways."

Wufei let his elbows rest on the table, chin resting on the back of his entwined fingers. Staring into the child's eyes, he hoped that David would be able to understand what Wufei wanted him to know.

"The plants at your school are as real and acceptable as the plants we raise here. They're just  _different_  types of plants."

' _The life you live here, and the life that took you to that school are acceptable. You are acceptable.'_

David didn't catch what he meant, or at least further under the surface. But, Wufei mused, leaning back and picking up his glass again, he would. The  _gratefulness_  in Trowa's eyes was enough for now. If the child didn't know yet, he would soon enough.

* * *

"An' a little more… here… and here…" Duo muttered aloud, tapping the arrow on his keyboard a couple times before leaning back, satisfied.

For all intents and purposes, Heero Yuy had just become an official representative of his department. Of course, no one  _in_  his department would ever know this, but that wasn't really important.

The hard part was waiting. Une - the evil bitch she was - gave them leave to do whatever they wanted. It doesn't make  _sense_ (Trowa wasn't even directly involved in the plans!) but it was pretty clear in her orders.

" _Feel free to do as you see fit. I just don't want to see anything about it ending up on my desk, in_ any _form, Mr. Maxwell."_

In Une-ese that meant,  _"If you get arrested, well, you're shit outta luck."_

With odds like that, it was hard to say 'no.' Though he'd still be watching his back, in case she tried to stab it.

"Are you finished yet?" Trowa murmured, his arms coming to wrap around Duo's shoulders. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the light, reddish-brown hair that belonged to his lover. He tilted his head back, grinning.

"Yup! This'll be  _great_."

"And I don't have to bail your ass out either," he teased, stealing a kiss before standing up. Duo chuckled, shaking his head and scooting his chair back.

"That wasn't my fault. Hee-chan's the one with the lead foot."

A tilt, barely noticeable, and a raised brow was his response, and Duo shrugged.

"I ain't r'sponsible for him!"

A little smirk, head leaning back ever-so-slightly, and arms shifting behind him to lean against the wall told Duo exactly what Trowa thought of  _that_  claim.

"Don't start that shit," Duo growled, stalking closer to the other man. The amusement shining in his eyes was reflected in Trowa's, and their 'argument' was interrupted by a lengthy kiss.

While Trowa'd been having a hard time with David leaving for school, Duo had taken it upon himself to show him all the upsides to their new arrangement. There were  _many_  more things that could be done when there wasn't a ten-year-old in the next room.

The hands trailing under his shirt, lifting it off before burying themselves into his hair was one of them. The lips locking onto the side of his neck was another. The rising temperature in the room, along with his own hands fumbling at Trowa's godforsaken belt buckle was one of the better ones.

As he knelt over Trowa, pinning him to the bed, he couldn't help but remind the other man of a certain, wonderful fact.

"He's in school for another four hours."

There wasn't time for Trowa to give any kind of answer as Duo descended.

The freedom of school was their freedom as well.

* * *

He couldn't help but worry, even as he smiled at the young boy. There were so many issues, so many  _problems_  that could happen, and it all boiled down to obsession. Quatre couldn't fault his best friend for taking in David - it was shocking to learn about it, in fact - but he wasn't sure Trowa was father-material. Neither was Duo. But the two of them had a kid now, and it was worrying.

The amount of loyalty David showed for Trowa was phenomenal for a boy his age. Barely eleven years old, and he would do anything his 'saviour' asked of him. He knew somewhat about the child's past, what little Trowa and Duo felt like sharing, and could see him latching onto someone who kept him safe.

But it was deeper than that. It was much, much deeper.

Trowa returned the loyalty, of course. He gave up working to be able to stay with David as much as he could. He fought against his friends, against  _himself_ , to give what he thought David needed. What was unsettling was how, more often than not, Trowa's guess was correct.

Quatre shook his head, focusing his drifting thoughts back to the conversation.

"—works with dragons in Romania—"

Quatre had been finding himself staying for dinner each night they helped David come home, Bill also joining them to help answer any questions that might come up. He'd been learning that their family situation was unusual; normally, only the parents of the magical child would ever know about magic. And, Quatre mused, Duo's enthusiasm mixed with Heero's blatant paranoia made it much more intense for Bill.

"Lost in thought again, Quat?" Duo teased, and Quatre smiled softly.

"Yes, I keep finding myself drifting away," he replied, finishing the bite that had stopped to hover in front of his mouth. Blinking, it took him a moment to realize he only tasted the metal, and that the food was  _still_  floating in front of his face.

"And this is a great example of the Levitation Charm. You'll be learning this in Charms class this year," Bill noted, the last comment aimed at David. Quatre poked at the pasta, and it spun a little in place.

"Are there any practical uses?" Duo asked, and Bill nodded.

"Yeah, all spells have some practical use. Depends on how creative you are. A lot can be used like this, but some are not safe for playing around with. Falling objects can be stopped with this, and moved back to their original spot. If you need to carefully lift something without the damage touching it might bring, this works well too."

"Taking away someone's weapon?"

' _And this is why_ none _of us are father-material,_ ' Quatre mused, as their viewpoint on life was very…  _skewed_  compared to regular people their age.

"Ah…" It wasn't hard to see Bill was thrown off by the innocent (sounding) question. "No, there's a disarming spell that's used to take away someone else's wand."

* * *

She knew when she agreed to commit herself to Heero that it wasn't going to be easy. There were times when she still couldn't be around him, the intensity of his actions and emotions too much for her to safely handle. Intimate moments could easily go sour if they weren't careful. Nightmares were a given, and there were many nights where Wufei, Quatre, or Trowa could be found on the sofa in Heero's living room. Since Duo had returned, he was often taking that spot as well.

Relena didn't get jealous of them though, even if she couldn't spend the night with Heero; it wasn't  _safe_ for her. She understood that there were things that she could not have with him, and that was a stable life. She understood, and she accepted this. Which was why it was startling to find out about little David Barton.

Admittedly, she didn't know much about him; Trowa wasn't one to share, and Duo held his thoughts close to himself unless he felt like doing otherwise. Heero knew plenty, she was sure, but he was much like Trowa in that matter. Instead of being secretive, he just didn't think about sharing it. But she knew that David was disturbed, and quite like an animal. She still remembered the wound that Heero had shown up to her house with, though it took cajoling Wufei to find out the source of the bite mark.

It wasn't the first time she'd felt that commander Une had made the wrong choice, and this was only counting after the wars ended. Her favouritism of Duo Maxwell wasn't a secret (well, except to Duo), and it was one of the main deciding factors in her support. The fact that she approved of Trowa helped too, but it was Duo sticking around and co-signing for custody that pushed it through. Everyone knew that (except for Duo), and no one questioned it.

But was David  _good_  for them? Heero and the others weren't exactly… well…  _sane_ , to put it rudely. They had so many problems that could affect him, but David also had problems that could affect her boys, too.

The random explosions being one of them. She feared the day that Heero was there—

It was best to not think of those things. She couldn't say that Trowa had done a bad thing wanting to help David, but she could say it probably wasn't the smartest thing. At least, from what little she could find out, they were trying to make it work. David saw a therapist, and she believed that Duo did too. Trowa, she wasn't sure, but she assumed if the other two were, he was as well.

She just feared that they wouldn't help each other heal.

But, it was best not to think of what that could mean.

* * *

"You've been in London more often," Bill noted, watching his brother finish off another bottle of the Muggle ale Quatre introduced them too. Charlie wiped the back of his hand across his mouth, and tilted his head.

"You almost sound  _disappointed_  about that," he mocked, setting down the empty brown bottle. Bill glanced away, trying to think of how to say what was on his mind.

"I thought you took that job in Romania."

"I thought  _you_  took that job in Egypt."

"I'm working at the London Branch now," Bill snapped, irritated. "I just wanted to know why you suddenly decided to bum off of me instead of pursuing the job you wanted since you were  _six_!"

Charlie was silent, his eyes cast down at the worn table between them. It had seen many meals before it became Bill's, and had seen many more after that too.

"I… I'm not sure."

"I think you are," Bill corrected. "I'm not as blind as you think I am. I've spent plenty of time around David and his…  _family._  It'll take more than a little brother to make me miss the obvious."

Charlie flushed, his grip on the bottle tightening. Bill thought the alcohol must be taking effect, because he couldn't remember a new bottle being opened.

' _Then how many have we drank so far?'_  It was a worrying question. But there was still another one he was waiting to have answered.

"I think I might find some place closer… Something local. I can't leave you to face their tender mercies alone," Charlie answered with a small grin, once again  _not_  answering the unasked question.

"While I appreciate you trying to save my life from the insanity of Quatre's friends, I think it's more  _Quatre_  you want to be around."

"Don't tell Mum," is all he responded with, which for Bill was the answer to the question.

" _Yeah, but I'm not telling anyone else that. Keep it quiet."_

"Well, if I understand correctly, Quatre's not planning on going far anytime soon."

" _I think you have a chance."_

"Well, he's really the only 'in' you have with them. I'd hope he wouldn't leave you in the dust."

" _It's not about me, though."_

"He finds our world fascinating. You should show him some dragons, he'd like that."

" _It could be._ Make _it about you."_

"Are you sure it wouldn't scare him out of London?"

" _Do you think he'd say yes?"_

"I think you'll have to find out."

" _Go ask him yourself."_

"So you don't mind me kidnapping your Muggle friend, then?"

" _You don't mind?"_

"No, go ahead."

* * *

The boy was nothing like his father was, that was easy enough for Severus to learn. Eyes downcast, hair falling to cover his face, hands gripping his robes, and the barely-noticeable tremor that kept the child practically vibrating in his seat.

He wasn't like either of his parents.

The first class he had shared with James Potter, the arrogance was clear. He was a  _Potter,_  and even worse he was a  _Gryffindor_. Thick-headed, proud, and much too full of himself, Potter had started his years at Hogwarts with an attitude that only grew worse over time.

Lily… Lily had been nothing like the man she would marry. She was kind, friendly, caring, and intelligent. Everything was a source of knowledge, every experience had something to teach her.  _How_  she'd ended up in Gryffindor, and not Ravenclaw, was still something he could not figure out.

Their child,  _her_ child, was nothing like them.

He was intelligent, that was obvious to read in his assignments. The detail, notes,  _references_  (which still made him wonder who'd been teaching him before Hogwarts), were dripping with the child's ability to learn. But he lacked the drive to go further, to seek out knowledge like his mother had.

Minerva had said little about what had caused Harry Potter to become like he was now. At some point, he was adopted by the man who gave him his new name.  _David Barton_. It was a name that Minerva seemed to prefer using to discuss the child, and the child seemed to prefer it being used.

What the blasted woman did tell him, though, was more than enough to figure out the rest.

Petunia, the vile child she had been in his youth, had not gotten better with time. She had abused her nephew - how, he did not know - and then her oaf of a husband abandoned the child in the middle of winter! He was eventually found by the man who adopted him, and has been living with them ever since.

"Open your books to page forty-seven," Severus started, the young students obeying without complaint. While the other professors disliked his handling of the students, they were much less likely to cause unwarranted chaos in his classroom. A good thing, considering the amounts of chaos the potion ingredients could make if not properly handled.

"A wizard's body develops a strong immune system as they grow older, but we are not impervious to illness or disease. This is why potions such as the one listed before you are among the first to be taught and practiced."

The scratching of quills, of students diligently taking note of his word, was one of the few things that he could tolerate.

David Barton was another, for he was not his father's son.

* * *

"Now carefully lift the root of the plant, and you will see the pulp underneath," Pomona instructed, showing her class of Ravenclaw and Slytherin first-years the sticky, wet mass forming under the plant. "This is a highly nutritious pulp, which can be strained into any drink, or cooked into any dish. It's quite bitter-" a gagging Slytherin interrupted her, his hand covering his mouth "-but can be fixed by using a few of the leaves from the bush itself. This counteracts the bitter taste, and still leaves you with all the good parts. Many witches and wizards your age use this during exams and long hours of study to prevent overworking and illness."

She set them to scraping the pulp away, where afterward she would collect it from them to give to Professor Snape. The man, despite all his intelligence, still relied much too heavily on the brewed pulp for his health. She pressed her concern of missing meals on him, but he  _was_  a fully grown man; if he didn't want to eat, she couldn't make him.

Her eyes strayed to the small boy near the middle of the table, who was bent over his plant enough to block his face with his long black hair. He was gently pushing the pulp along the root, mindful of scratching or damaging the plants. A brilliant student, yet it saddened her to watch him.

He was focused more on extracting the pulp than he was in working with his partner, a young Slytherin blond, who was trying to talk to the boy. He did each lesson as he was instructed, caring more about the plants they worked with than the people he was working with. She heard several students his age remark on how he looked down on them, and couldn't lower himself to their standards, but she saw what they refused to see.

Fear.

He didn't fancy himself better than them, he felt below them. He stayed quiet, unobtrusive, and obedient; for fear of what, she couldn't say. He seemed to enjoy lessons in the greenhouse enough, so she hoped it could be a way for those brilliant seeds within him to bloom into something magnificent.

She could only hope, in time, that he would gain the drive to make something more of himself.

"When you have the pulp off of the roots, place it in the vials. You will want to have the vials filled with half of the pulp, and the other half with water. The pulp, as it is right now, is useless. Let it absorb the water for two weeks, and it becomes usable."

She let the class continue working, watching her students and correcting mistakes as they came - "Mr. Goyle, we still need the plants  _alive_  after this class!" - but her thoughts and eyes kept straying back to the small, black haired boy, surrounded by people and still so alone.

When she told her class to clean up and put the vials on the shelves behind her, she saw him put a small vial inside his robes. She ignored it, as it was the first time he'd showed any interest in anything here.

* * *

Students with difficult backgrounds were hard to watch.

Many students with troubled family lives, or conflicted beliefs, passed through his House. Many thought it was the Slytherins who housed them (and Severus had his fair share of cases like that), but often those with abuse, neglect, or conflict came through to him. They were the ones who were more eager to learn, more eager to prove themselves, desperate to find the knowledge to stop what was happening, or to understand why it was.

He wished it could be different, that they wanted to learn for the sake of learning.

The young Mr. Barton was one he wished was like that. It was clear to him he felt he was in the wrong House. It didn't help that he didn't spend any time with his yearmates, or sleep in the dormitories. When he expressed his concern over this, Minerva stated that it was safer if he didn't.

If it was safer for Barton, or for his classmates, Filius was still uncertain.

The intelligence was there, showing in his work, speech, and observations. But the boy refused to believe that he was capable.

Minerva explained some about how he was adopted, and that much of his current behaviour was from his first family. It soothed the pain to know that he was free of that life now, and with people who cared. He wasn't sure how the eldest Weasley child became involved, but he could see the care and compassion from the man who came with him every night to take Barton back to his father.

In classes, he was quiet and studious. If asked a question, he had the answer. It wasn't long and thorough, like the young Miss Granger was prone to give, but it was short, concise, and correct. He spoke loud enough to be heard, but with little interest. He never asked questions, but turned to his books for answers instead. His wandwork and spellcasting was much the same.

Filius watched from the Ravenclaw entrance as the young boy waited for the two gentlemen who were to take him home. If the routine held, it would only be moments— And right as he predicted, the fire turned a vivid green, shimmering and growing larger as two men appeared in the fireplace, expertly stepping forward in time to catch themselves.

"David, time to go!" the younger one of the men called out, and Barton stood from where he had been waiting. He sat in the same spot each night, watching the fireplace. The same blond man came each evening, along with Mr. Weasley, and it only took a minute for Mr. Barton to be ready to leave. Some days, Mr. Barton looked like it couldn't come soon enough.

"See you tomorrow in class, Mr. Barton," Filius called out, and Barton paused, turning around for a moment. Their eyes met, bright green and light blue, before the young Barton gave a small smile and nodded.

"G'night, Professor."

The three vanished into the fire, and Filius moved to go to his own dinner waiting for him down in the Great Hall.

* * *

"Hi, I'm Draco," he said, holding out his hand to the quiet boy. "Draco Malfoy."

The boy, the one he first thought was really a girl, just stared at it, as if not sure what he was supposed to do. Draco held it out for several moments, feeling his face heat up as the boy didn't move. As he was about to give up and stomp away from the rude kid, the green eyes blinked a few times behind his glasses, and his hand was grabbed. The grip matched his, and they shook hands. When Draco loosened his grip, the boy's hand was pulled away as if on fire.

"D-David. Barton." The voice trembled for a moment, growing stronger as his last name was given.

"Well Barton, I," Draco blushed again, embarrassment filling him as he remembered his mistake. But it was only proper to do this, as a Malfoy. "I wanted to apologize for my mistake at the Apothecary."

That was several weeks ago, but it had played again and again in his mind. How he was following the boy around, trying to talk to him as their parents picked up their ingredients. He tried to figure out why he didn't know the boy was, in fact, a boy at first. His father had long hair, so it wasn't that. Maybe because his eyes were so large, and his lips not as thin as the other boy's Draco had seen. But it was a mistake that haunted his mind from the moment it was made.

"Oh. Okay."

And that was all Barton ever said about it. Draco wasn't satisfied.

So he tried again. And again. And  _again_. But it didn't seem like the quiet, dark-haired girly-boy  _cared_. He didn't care that Draco was a Malfoy, that Draco was a Slytherin, that Draco's father was Lucius. He didn't care that they shared a lot of classes together. He didn't care when Draco said nice things to him. He didn't care when Draco said  _mean_  things to him either.

Draco thought that Barton didn't care about anything, except his plants.

They shared Herbology together, and Draco had volunteered himself as Barton's partner. Greg and Vince worked right next to them, but Draco spent all of his time trying to get Barton to even say a word to him. He did notice that Barton always stole things from the greenhouse during lessons, from plants to whatever else Professor Sprout wanted to torture them with that day, a little bit would go into the pocket of his robes.

So it was after their third Herbology class that Draco caught up to the smaller boy, and called out his name. Barton stopped, letting Draco catch up to him. Holding out his hand, Draco presented his gift to Barton.

"Here. You kept looking at it during class, so I got you one."

It was a little piece of vine, inside of a rather small pot. A couple leaves were on it, and it looked really pathetic. But the joy on the other boy's face made up for it.

It would take time, but Draco was dead-set on making the boy talk to him. He knew he would succeed, because he was a Malfoy. Malfoy's always got what they wanted.

* * *

He watched the boy eating his lunch, the jerky movements giving away the tension in his body. He could feel the two heated glares his two professors were giving him; it didn't matter if they were looking at him or not, he always felt them. He felt the guilt, the remorse, the mistake he had made in good will.

Young Harry Potter was supposed to stay safe from Voldemort's followers. That is why he went to his only living relative. His mother's sister, who was to take him into her family and raise him. Not leave him in the cold, alone, and without a clue as to who he would become.

He'd meant to check up on the child, but the aftermath of the war took his attention. As families recovered, and the Ministry was scraping itself back together, Albus was doing the same for his school. Before he noticed, several years had passed, and he never went to look in on the boy who was to save the Wizarding world.

He should have, he now knew. Minerva was happy to remind him of this grim fact.

He wasn't ignorant to the animosity that had been between the late Lily Potter and her sister. He knew that the boy's life would be hard, that it wouldn't be pleasant. It wasn't supposed to be like  _this_  though, where he was driven out and abandoned.

How would things have been, if he had allowed Harry to be adopted into a Wizarding family? There hadn't been a lack of offers from both Light and Dark minded families. It would have been easy to let one of the Light families take him in.

At the time, it didn't seem smart. The boy would need trials, would need a reason to love the Wizarding world more than the one he grew up in. So he turned away those seeking to take in the famous infant. He took Harry to the last blood family the boy had instead. And only a decade later did he regret it.

When his eyes fell back to the Ravenclaw table, the boy was gone. Albus could feel it within too. Little Harry Potter was gone. The boy-who-could-have-been was no more. David Barton had taken his place, and there was nothing Albus could do for him. Fate had placed him in another's hand. Albus could only hope that the men who'd claimed him, Trowa Barton and Duo Maxwell, would be able to ready the child for the task that was given to him. He didn't know much about the men, except for what Minerva felt like sharing, so his unease grew each time he saw the small, long-haired child.

The fate of the world rested on those tiny shoulders, and the two men who were raising him.

* * *

"Trowa!"

He felt his chest loosen, the sound of David's voice calling for him a salve on his nerves. He slipped out from beneath Duo's arm, the other man opening his eyes as he left their bed.

"Sleep, I'll be back," Trowa murmured, brushing a hand down his lover's face. Duo nodded, closing his eyes again.

Trowa had dressed earlier, not wanting to appear mussed, which he was glad for as he left the bedroom and moved towards the main room. Quatre was helping David take off his shoes, and William was just standing there waiting for them to finish. Trowa stayed out of sight until he saw the second shoe slip off, because he knew the boy wouldn't wait and finish. He felt a smile play at the edge of his lips as he stepped out of the hallway, visible to the bright, happy eyes of the child who had stolen his world.

"Trowa!" It didn't take long for David to push against him, nor to wrap his arms around his waist and squeeze tightly. Trowa let his hand rest on his child's head, smoothing back his hair - which they needed to discuss at some point, but not now - and letting the moment last. While he was glad to see David going to school, being  _able_  to go to school, and having more time to spend with Duo, it  _hurt_  to be away from his child. It was something he tried to explain to Quatre once, but he knew his best friend didn't understand. Duo tried to, but he was still too enthralled with the thought of having so much privacy with Trowa to think too much about it.

"Come, dinner's on the table."

It was something he made sure of each day. He knew that David was still getting used to being away from home during the day, and he also knew how that stress could upset his stomach. Food was present at the time David came home, so that the stress could be pushed away. It was easier to deal with things on a full stomach, much like it was easier to handle Duo when the other man had been fed. A hungry Duo was a difficult Duo.

His attention focused once more on David, who was sliding up into his chair. Quatre took the seat next to William, across from where he was sitting beside David. Duo's spot was empty, the place not set for him.

"Is Duo sleeping?"

"Long day," Trowa confirmed, ignoring the knowing,  _laughing_  eyes his best friend was watching him with. It was none of his business how Duo and Trowa spent their time; at least they weren't yelling at each other as much now. Sex seemed to solve a lot of his problems with Duo; not to mention it was quite fun, too.

"Then we'll not stay too long," William decided, and Trowa nodded, relief spreading through him. He wanted some alone time with his son, before returning to his lover.

He reached out and brushed his hand through David's hair, feeling the world become right again.


	17. Halloween

"You don't look so good, kiddo. Bad dreams?" Duo asks, helping me tug on my uniform. I shake my head, my hair falling into my face as I look down to watch his hands work. They're wrapping the tie, a trick I have yet to learn how to do. Duo straightens up, a hand brushing the hair back across my shoulder. I shrug, some of the hair sliding back across and brushing my neck.

"How about we go eat breakfast?" he asks me. "Trowa's making oatmeal again."

I follow Duo out of my room, and sure enough, as I pass through the doorway into the kitchen I see Trowa setting down the bowls onto the table. As my eyes find his, I feel the tightness in my stomach lessen, and a small smile finds its way to my face.

He doesn't tell me good morning, but I feel it in his touch. The fingers swiping through my hair, pressing gently against my scalp, tell me more than any words ever can. I lean into his hand, closing my eyes and letting him suck my pain away.

"Okay, enough petting. Let's eat and get you to classes," Duo breaks in, and I glare at him for interrupting. Trowa hums gently, untangling his fingers from my hair and smoothing it back into place. I pour a little honey onto the bowl, and dig in quietly.

The pain's coming back.

* * *

"The Devil's Snare is only dangerous when caught in the dark," Sprout says, holding up a small pot. The few vines twisting in the pot don't look too dangerous, but I know by now that it doesn't need to be. "Sunlight, fire, and brightly lit places make the Devil's Snare retreat, unable to leave the confines of its pot. When in the darkness, it expands rapidly and will choke anything unfortunate enough to find it. Now, knowing this, what is the best way to avoid being injured if you find one in the wild?"

I poke the small plant in front of me, watching the vines creep around in the dirt. Holding my finger there, I watch as the vine slowly wraps around it, squeezing gently.

"Keep a light with you?" one girl calls out, and Sprout nods.

"That is one way to do it, what spells do you know that make light?"

"Lumos!" Draco answers, and the tip of his wand glows brightly. My plant retreats, burrowing into the dirt. I give him a flat look, and he grins.

"Mr. Malfoy, put out your light. Now, there are many uses for Devil's Snare, some of which include security, potions, and pest control…"

* * *

"Here," Draco says, thrusting his hand out. Held in his grip is the pot that we were working on during Herbology. I take it, examining the little vine. Only a single leaf is sticking out, the rest hiding from the bright sunlight filling the courtyard.

"Are you staying for the feast tonight?" Draco asks, trailing along behind me. My head shakes back and forth, my words unable to find a way out of my mouth.

I don't know if I'm staying. I hope I don't have to, I want to go home now.

"You're quiet today," Draco points out. "Well, more than normal. I mean, I don't think you've said anything at all. I mean, anything… Did something happen?"

I shake my head again. Even if I could talk right now, I don't know what I'd say.

'Every night I become a killer, and last night—'

I shake my head harder, unable to think about last night. Last night was horrible, and I don't want to think about it again.

"Fine, don't talk. I've heard that Hogwarts throws the best feasts. I mean, the tables will bend under the weight of the plates, and the desserts are endless! You can eat until you break open—"

_The door bursts open under the assault of my wand, and the splinters scatter across the rug. The husband is right on the other side, shouting up the stairs._

" _Take Harry and run—"_

" _Avada Kedavra_ _!" I shout, pointing my wand at the man. Green light bursts from the tip, engulfing him. He drops dead—_

"—and… Are you even listening to me?"

I blink, the shock of being pulled out of my… dream?... painful and startling. Draco's giving me a strange look, and I rush past him, unable to say a word.

Tom and Mylord are starting to appear when I'm awake, too. Will I stop being me completely?

* * *

"You know, you can't keep skipping class," the girl who shares my desk tells me, slamming her book down on the table. "You're already unpopular with the other students—"

I am?

"—and you're going to end up getting detention. Besides, you're a Ravenclaw, it sets a bad example if you never show up for a class!"

I ignore her, because I don't care. The teacher scares me, so I don't go. And the girl gives me everything, anyways, so why do I need to be there? I take the papers she hands me, looking over them and shoving them into my backpack.

I'll do them later.

"Honestly, you are impossible—"

"— _to ignore," my servant tells me. "T_ _hey are growing in numbers and are separate from the Ministry. "_

" _They are of no concern," I dismiss, "merely a rogue group of vigilantes."_

" _My Lord, please consider this—"_

"—a little more seriously!" she snaps, and the pain of being once again ripped from my dream – reality? – physically hurts.

"You haven't been listening to me, have you?!" she snarls, and I don't answer.

I don't know what's wrong with me anymore.

* * *

"—pay attention, you foolish boy!"

I blink, once again sucked out of my dream, reality, or whatever it is that's happening to me. I'm sitting in my potions class, the professor's hand wrapped around my wrist. In my hand is a whole piece of root.

When did I grab it?

"What do you think you are doing?" the man hisses at me, my arm jerking in his grip. My wrist hurts, but my heads hurts even more right now so I ignore it. "Are you  _trying_  to kill yourself? Your classmates?"

The colours are muting, the overwhelming pain and distortion in my brain lessening. Things are coming back to me now, things that are making my arms start to tremble and my throat close up.

' _Breathe, I need to keep breathing,'_  I remember, forcing my mouth to suck in air.

The cauldron explodes next to me.

The professor jerks me away from the table, the root falling from my hand and into the puddle. What happens after this, I'm not sure. All I can feel is my overwhelming fear and anger lashing out from my body, grabbing onto the bright lights sitting on the flames in the room. The deafening explosions are littering the room, along with the screams—

_-being the chorus to the catastrophe taking place. The streets are littered with lifeless_ _Muggles and_ _Muggle-lovers, and my minions are—_

-dragging me out of room, the teacher's hand smacking—

_-her across the face. She glares up at me defiantly, those brilliant green_ _—_

-vapour drifts through the room, sinking to the floor. Everything underneath it—

_-the pride that refuses to die._

" _It would be easier if you—"_

"—let go of him! David, can you hear me?"

I fixate onto the voice, a voice I recognize in the whirlwind that's become my existence.

Percy. Percy's here. That means—

" _Trowa!"_ I scream, the word ripping from my throat messily.  _"TROWA!"_

' _Where is he?! I_ want _him here_ now _!'_

"Fred, go find Professor McGonagall. Have her call Bill and let him know we need someone here."

"But—"

" _Now,"_  Percy snaps, and footsteps are running further away, the sound echoing in the stone corridor.

" _Trowa!"_  I scream again, and my face is pressed into warm fabric, arms wrapping around me.

"I know," Percy whispers to me. "We'll get you to him, okay? Just wait, we're doing the best we can."

"What's going on?"

"Panic attacks. He has them a lot, and Mr. Barton—"

"-That's his dad—"

"—is the only one who can make them go away."

"That's why he doesn't stay here all the time, or that's what Bill said. I'm betting there's more to it, but we're kids. We don't get told why, we just get told what to do."

"Mr. Weasley, please escort Mr. Barton to Professor McGonagall's office. The rest of you, get to class. I have a classroom to repair."

Arms are sliding under my legs, lifting me up into the air. It must be Percy, as my face is still buried in his clothes. All my attention is on my breathing, making sure that I'm still doing it. If I'm breathing, then I can't go back to the bad place, to the place where Mylord—

"—Breathe, David, just breathe. Keep breathing, please, I don't know what to do if you stop on me."

"Trowa…" I whimper, and large hands run across my back, patting me gently.

"We're trying, David, we're getting there."

"Percy! How is he?" I hear William asking, and strong hands are trying to pull me away from  _my_  Percy. I hiss, feeling my anger dance across my skin.

The hands jerk back, a gentle voice following instead.

Quatre.

"It's okay, David. It's okay."

I keen, gripping onto Percy's robes tighter. He's the only thing between me and Mylord right now, I'm  _not_  losing him!

"Mr. Weasley, you're excused from classes for the rest of today. Please assist your brother and Mr. Winner in helping Mr. Barton."

"Thank you, professor," Percy responds, and the anger sinks back into my skin; still there, but not on the outside anymore.

"Winner Residence!" I hear William say, before heat flares and it goes quiet again. Percy's moving, and I hear him repeat the same words.

The familiar feeling of traveling through the fireplace follows his words.

A blanket's being wrapped around me, though no one tries to take away my Percy this time. He's sitting now, still holding me against him tightly.

"I still can't get through to any of them," I overhear Quatre say, and William responds, agitated.

"I could Apparate—"

"Not a good idea," Quatre cuts in, "they'd shoot you before they knew it was you. I have to hope that Wufei can reach Heero before—"

I drift away for a bit, my head filled with fuzzy sounds and feelings. A tug, a small one, is forming in my chest. The fear, anger, and pain are growing bigger again, tugging back.

"—hours. They've gotten used to him being gone during the day, who knows when they'll—"

I relax my grip on Percy, sliding off onto the sofa. The blanket's draped over me, and I can feel a hand brushing through my hair.

"—Heero can track them down fast enough if they're not at home—"

Heero. Heero knows how to find Trowa?

The tug's harder this time, and I don't fight back.

The pressure that surrounds me as I let myself be pulled away hurts. It hurts  _bad_.

When the pressure stops, I throw up. Blinking, it doesn't take long to recognize where I'm at.

Behind Heero's sofa, in Heero's apartment. Without Heero here.

I keen, loudly, before choking and throwing up again.

Footsteps pound against wood, and the door is thrown open.

"Show yourself— David?"

"Trowa," I murmur, reaching out for the man who can help me. The man who will get me my Trust-Man.

Heero crouches, the weapon in his hand being tucked away once more. He lifts me up from the ground, wrapping a blanket around me. I can see there's one wrapped around him, and when Relena comes into the room, she's wrapped in one too.

"Is that David?! I thought he was in school today?"

"He's supposed to be," Heero agrees. "David, what happened?"

"Trowa," I repeat, insisting.

"Did something happen to Trowa?" Heero asks, raising me higher. I can look straight into his eyes like this, without having to tilt my head up or down.

"Trowa, need…" I try to explain, trying to find my words and make them come out.

I need  _Trowa_.

"Call Quatre, he's in charge of the educational matters," Heero demands, tossing his phone at Relena. She catches it, holding the power button for a few seconds. As it starts up, she frowns.

"He's been trying to call  _you_."

"Then call him back. Let him know that David showed up at my apartment again."

"Again?" she asks faintly, before wandering back down the hall, the phone pressed to her ear. Heero steers us around the sofa, bringing me into the kitchen. He sets me down on the counter, pulling my shirt off.

I hiss at him, baring my teeth.

"Stop that. I'm checking you for injuries and cleaning the vomit from your skin," he snaps.

I bite my lip, trying to sit still and not move as he pokes, prods, and wipes at my skin. It calms me down, watching Heero work. He's very focused, not trying to talk to me like Duo does. He's not asking what's wrong, not saying pointless things – a habit I need to break Percy out of – and not trying to make me think anything, either. I can just watch him work, and my mind stays blank.

I think Tom and Mylord are scared of him too, because they're not trying to do anything to me right now. This is the first time all day that they haven't made me see things.

I want Trowa.

The doorbell rings, and Relena comes rushing out of the hallway, no longer in a blanket. She's wearing a loose pair of pants and a large shirt instead. When she pulls the door open, I see Wufei come in and drop a bag.

"I came as soon as I could. What's going on?"

"I have no idea!" Relena snarls, and my eyes widen. My throat tightens, but Heero's fingers press into my back.

"Breathe. Ignore them."

I do so, closing my eyes and trying to count my breaths. It doesn't help though, as I still hear her shouting. It sounds like Aunt. But she can't be here, I belong to Trowa now.

Why is she here?

"Come on," Heero says, lifting me up. I hiss, my teeth baring defensively, but the pressing of fingers against my back relaxes me suddenly. I go limp in the hold, and my face is angled so I can only see Heero.

"I'm not the animal trainer," he reminds me. Aunt's getting farther away, her voice fading as Heero walks. He takes me through a door in the back, but it doesn't lead to a bedroom like at home. It looks like Duo's room at work. There's a desk with a computer on it, and another desk with another computer on it. There are a lot of bookshelves, with lots of books on them. Everything's really dark in here, even the furniture. But it doesn't scare me. In fact, it makes me feel safer.

"You will wait in here until we can retrieve Trowa," he says, setting me down. I scramble back, my eyes following Heero as he moves over to one of the desks and sits down. He opens up one of the flat computers, a blue light covering Heero's face and shirt. I move to the corner, sliding down and curling my arms up around my knees.

I want Trowa.

I want him  _now_.

* * *

"—wasn't planning on havin' t'be on call, Wu!"

"You have a child, you should  _always_  be—"

"Shit, man, I'm not even eighteen yet—"

"As far as you know."

"…Thanks, Hee-chan. I'm around eighteen years old, helpin' raise a ten-year-old—"

"Eleven."

"—boy, and  _shut up already, Heero_. Cut me some slack, I ain't perfect."

"He's a traumatized child. There is no reason you shouldn't have considered the possibility that this could happen."

"Listen here, Chang—"

"Cut it out, both of you," Relena cuts in. I shift uncomfortably, remembering how much she sounded like Aunt earlier. "There's no way to change what's already happened. What we need to do is focus on getting this resolved and under control, and make preparations for if—"

"When."

"—this happens again. Honey, please don't interrupt me, it's rude."

The door handle clicks, a little bit of light coming into the room before the door clicks closed again. I hear the footsteps on the wood as he moves closer. It doesn't scare me, the noise, because I know who the footsteps belong to.

Trowa. My Trust-Man.

I can't help the loud, high keen that's ripped from my throat, my body forcing itself onto its knees and my arms stretching up high. Trowa drops to his knees, his arms pulling at me and pressing me to his chest. I can feel him humming, a vibration in his whole body soothing the pain that's lingering in my head and chest.

Trowa's here now. Everything is better.

" _Trowa…_ " It comes out as a whimper, the keen that trails out after it something I cannot control. He keeps humming, his hands gripping my shoulders tightly and his nose pressed against my head. I let my eyes close, let him hold me, and finally let myself give into the tired feelings.

* * *

" _My Lord, I have the location of the Potters."_

" _Excellent. Now, share with me the location, Wormtail. I feel that a visit is in due order," I praise, the small man groveling at my feet. He shares with me the secret, the secret that will rid this world of the only being capable of defeating me._

_To think, the one who would try to defeat me is merely an infant right now,_ _harmless and defenseless. The longer I wait, the more at risk I become._

_Now,_ now _is the time to strike. All-Hallows Eve, when the powers that are at my command are at_ _their highest potency._

_The husband, the pest that he is, falls first. His wife, the bitch who once denied me, the whore who had refused_ _my generous offers, falls after him. No one stands in my way, no one will save this would-be symbol of hope._

_I raise my wand, the most powerful words in existence releasing the most powerful force. The glow of green surrounds the infant, before a burning,_ searing _pain overtakes me._

 _How?_ How?!


	18. Finding David

The first night, Trowa lets me sleep in his bed with Duo. He sleeps on the side with the wall, and Duo sleeps on the side with the door. I sleep between them, and they both hold me. When I start to panic, they sooth me back to sleep, or just run their fingers through my hair if I can't do that.

The second night I'm in my own room, but Trowa's there with me, too. I find it hard to fall asleep, keeping my head pressed against Trowa's chest. His heart calms me, the steady beating becoming the pattern I make my breaths match. Duo comes in every so often to check on us, but he spends most of his time in the living room, talking on the phone.

The third night, Trowa tries to let me sleep alone. I wake up screaming, clawing at my throat and trying to breathe. Trowa stays with me the rest of the night.

It's the fourth morning since  _That Day_ ; the first one I've felt that I'm here enough to leave the bed and walk around the house. Trowa has to stay near me though, because whenever he gets too far away, I do too. When he's next to me, I'm all here, too. There's no Tom, no Mylord… just David. I'm David when Trowa's here.

When he's gone… I'm not.

William and Quatre are in the living room, talking with Duo when Trowa leads me in. They go quiet, their eyes focusing on me. It scares me.

I don't like them watching me. They might see  _them_  instead.

Trowa presses his hand against my back, his fingers mixing into my hair. I lean back against him, rubbing my cheek against his pant leg. I'm trying hard to stay here right now, the fear making me want to show  _them_  instead.

I don't want  _That Day_  to happen again.

"Just breathe," Trowa murmurs, his fingers gently rubbing my shoulder. With his help, I make it over to our chair, and wait until he sits down to climb into his lap.

"How you feelin', kiddo?" Duo asks me, and I shake my head slightly. I don't know how I feel. I know how  _Tom_ feels, and I know how  _Mylord_  feels.

David's hard to find. I don't know how David feels.

When I blink, Quatre's kneeling in front of me, his eyes examining my own. He reaches out a hand, and I warily follow it as closely as I can, until his fingers are brushing along my forehead. I can see the pain flickering in his eyes; the same pain that's filling my head.

"Which one is it?" he asks me gently, his fingers trailing around to the side of my head. I can feel him pressing against my neck, rubbing lightly. "Who's hurting you?"

I jerk back, my eyes squeezing closed. I can't let him see  _them_. Why is he asking me?!

"Ssh, you're not in trouble," Trowa assures me. "Let me help you, David. Let all of us help you."

I bury my face into Trowa's shirt, the energy draining from me again. I want to go back to bed.

* * *

_I let the cool evening air brush over my flesh as I stand atop the Astronomy Tower, my robes tossed to the ground behind me. The moon is full in the sky, the stars gleaming brilliantly in the cloudless night. The call of a Thestral sounds over the dark forest, mixing with the wind through the leaves._

_The perfect night._

_I trace the tip of my wand over my skin, starting right in the center of my chest and moving downward. A faint white light follows my course, shimmering in the moonlight as I trace the runes needed for a ritual obscured by time. It is the first step; the first task to achieve what I want._

_I want to be immortal. I never want to die._

_And I know how to do it._

* * *

I can't remember what I did for the rest of the day. When I'm back, it's growing light outside the window. Trowa's lying underneath me, one arm wrapped around my middle to stop me from sliding off. Duo's against his side with an arm under his own head, and the other thrown over both of us. My stomach's growling loudly, and I really need to use the loo.

Trowa's eyes open as I try to shift away, so I pause, my breath catching. He relaxes as he sees me, giving me a squeeze before letting his arm slide off. He elbows Duo, who only rolls over, taking his arm with him too.

"Meet me in the kitchen after you're done," Trowa tells me, and I nod in agreement.

I don't remember going to the loo in days, but I must have; even in the cubby I had to pee once a day, at least. Maybe I did, but I don't remember.

I don't remember a lot of things right now. Like what day it is. Or what time it is. Or what's wrong with me.

The mirror over the sink cracks, and I shake my head, taking a deep breath.

_No, don't get mad. Things break when you're mad._

I turn off the taps and rush out of the bathroom, desperate to get away from the broken mirror.

Trowa is waiting in the kitchen for me, a bowl of cereal waiting in my spot. I climb up on the chair, scooting it closer and grabbing my spoon. I'm really, really hungry right now, and I don't even take a moment to see if it's okay before I start devouring it. Trowa's hand brushes through my hair, his fingers smoothing out my tangles as I fill my stomach up.

"You're going to go see Nick today," Trowa tells me, and I pause for just a second.

It's not Monday, though.

Or is it?

"I also spoke with William and Professor McGonagall, and they agree that you being well again is more important than going back to class right now. They will be bringing over your lessons so that you can work on them and not fall behind."

Relief spreads through me. I don't think I could go back to class right now. Tom and Mylord really like the school, because that's where they come out when I'm not asleep.

"Your friends at school wanted to give you this, as well. Your head of house, Professor Flitwick, delivered it to William for you."

Trowa reaches behind him, grabbing something before turning and setting it between us. It's a small pot, a strange but brilliantly coloured flower swaying inside of it. Pulling it closer, I tilt it to look at it better.

And it looks back.

I smile widely, matching the smile on the dancing flower. It croons, leaning into the finger I stroked along its brightly shimmering petal.

Another thunk lets me know that Trowa set something else down. Letting my attention leave the plant, I see a book resting in the same spot the flower had been.

The title,  _A Young Wizard's Guide to Growing,_  is written along the cover in twirling ivy, a few plants spaced out among the dull brown cover.

"Finish eating, we have to leave soon," Trowa reminds me, and I let the plant rest back on the table as I finish my cereal.

Is this what friends do?

* * *

"It's hard going to school, even a special one like yours," Nick tells me, cradling the pot to the dancing flower. He was fascinated by it when I showed him, and it seems to like him, too. "You haven't lived with a good family for very long, and there's still a lot of things you need to get used to. You've done brilliantly, but you can't expect everything to disappear right away."

I nod, fiddling with one of the blocks scattered in front of me. Trowa's leaning against one of the walls, quietly watching the two of us. I didn't want to be far from Trowa just in case  _they_  came back.

"There will be some setbacks, especially as new stresses come up. Going to school, even if it's fun, can bring stress. There's a lot of people to be around, new things to learn, homework to do, and classes to go to. It will take time before you're able to handle it like other children, but that isn't your fault. It's your Aunt and Uncle's fault."

"They didn't raise you how they should have, and they didn't treat you like you deserved. They were mean and hurtful, which taught you a lot of different things instead. Trowa and Duo are teaching you all the right things, those things that your other family should have done, but didn't. Do you understand?"

I nod again, biting my lip. I want to ask a question, but my words are still missing.

"He's having a hard time talking," Trowa says quietly, drawing Nick's attention from me. "I don't know if it's intentional or out of his control."

"Do you find it hard to talk when you're upset?" Nick asks me, and my breath hitches. I nod, my vision getting blurry.

"A lot of people do, it's normal. You only learned to talk a short time ago, so you have to think harder about forming words than other people. As you get older and have had more time to practice, it won't be so difficult."

Something in my chest relaxes, letting me be able to breathe easier. Of course, this makes the sobs that I've been hiding escape, too. I curl my knees up to hide my face, not wanting them to see me crying.

I feel more than see Trowa move from the wall, lifting me into his lap and cradling me.

"I think that's all for today," Nick says.

I don't remember anything else about today.

* * *

_The first time was the most painful. She had fallen to the ground, eyes wide and lifeless, and the white marks flared on my chest; bright enough to see through the thick uniform robes. The book in my hand, also bearing the glowing white script, flashes a blinding white before fading back to black. The white runes sink into the surface, sealing away a part of me forever._

_I leave the body where it is. Let some other fool do something about the mess._

* * *

Heero's over here today, even though Duo's gone somewhere else. Me and Trowa are sitting in the living room, stretched out on the sofa and watching a movie. Heero's watching too, I think, from one of the other chairs.

No one's talking, and I like it. No one wants me to talk, and I like that more.

The movie ends, and Trowa flicks the remote at the telly, turning it off. No one moves, though, and no one talks.

It's quiet until Duo comes home, the door closing loudly behind him.

"Man, leave ya' alone for a bit… There a rule 'gainst talkin' right now?"

"Hai. You are breaking it."

"Ha. Ha. Man, Hee-chan, who died an' gave you a sense'f humour?"

"Unknown. Research will be done to determine the origin."

I giggle, sitting up and sliding off Trowa. He sits up as well, stretching lightly before standing as well.

"Well, 'sall well an' good, but I got somethin' better for us'ta do 'sides lay aroun' bein' stiffs."

A rattle of something in a thin box catches my attention, and Duo steps around the chairs, setting the box down on the table. The word 'CLUE' stares back up at me.

"Really, Duo?" Trowa sighs, but he sounds amused at the game sitting on the table. Heero's rolling his eyes, but moving his chair closer anyway.

"Yeah, I'm serious. Not only will it teach Davvy how t'play, but Hee-chan too."

"I am aware of the purpose and rules of this board game," Heero says, but Duo snorts.

"The killer can't be the stiff, Heero. It don't work like that."

"Logically—"

"Let's start," Trowa breaks in, lifting the lid off the box. The three of them set the board up, and Trowa helps me learn the rules as we play.

It's fun, trying to figure out who did what. It's even funner watching Duo and Heero argue through the entire game. They even pull Trowa into arguments, too, and that's the funnest of them all.

I can't help but smile as Trowa tucks me into bed tonight. I can remember everything today.

* * *

"Man, an' I thought the rich kid's had weird lessons," Duo comments, holding one of the books for my class. I'm writing an essay about Beazors for potion's class, and Wufei's helping me with it. Trowa and Quatre left to go get more food for the fridge, and I'm feeling good enough today that I can keep Mylord and Tom away myself. Heero's flipping through another one of my books, his face as blank as it ever is.

"A third of the formulas listed in this text are poisonous," Heero notes, and Duo raises a brow.

"Really? Why?"

I shrug, not having a good answer to that. I think it's because Professor Snape wants them to be. He doesn't look happy to be teaching us, so he must do it to not get bored.

But I can't tell them that right now, my words are still gone.

"I doubt most of them are made for human ingestion," Wufei points out. "Pests, plants, weeds, insects… we have poisons that we use against those as well. Some poisons, in small doses, can actually cure."

"Stop bein' all smart an' ruinin' the fun," Duo grumbles. I close my book, letting my quill rest back into the pot.

Writing with a quill is weird, but William says that they are necessary. I don't know why, but I can't use regular pens. Duo thinks it's funny, but he can't write that well with it. Trowa can, though. He writes really pretty with it. Wufei writes good with it too, but not as good as Trowa.

"You're doing great," Trowa tells me, wiping my fingers with a wet cloth. Wufei and Trowa went and found cleaning stuff that helps get the ink from the quills off better. Trowa doesn't like my hands being dirty, it annoys him. It annoys me, too.

"Clean freaks," Duo mutters, walking past the two of us.

* * *

_The loo's empty right now, which gives me a sense of safety. The fact that the door's no longer there helps with that, as well. My clothes are strewn over the floor, bloody footprints going from where the door had been to where I am now. My hands, shaking terribly, are under the scalding downpour of water, the sink tinted pink from the filth flowing off my hand._

_I hate,_ hate _being dirty._

_I scrub at my skin furiously, my skin rapidly turning red from the intensity of the heat and pressure. Several cuts along my wrists break open, adding even more red to the mess covering me. I finally slam my hands into the bowl, splashing water everywhere._

_Sinking to the floor, I bury my face into my clean hands._

* * *

"Are you ready?" Trowa asks me, helping me with my tie. I still can't get it to twist right, and all it does is knot up. Duo stands off to the side, holding my shoes and backpack. He helped me brush and tie my hair back, spending a lot longer than he normally does.

I think they're scared.

I'm scared, too.

My hands are trembling as I take the backpack from Duo, letting him help put on my shoes. After he finishes knotting my laces, he doesn't stand up, instead staying crouched in front of me. He looks straight at me, level with my eyes from here, and the look on his face isn't something I'm used to. Duo's always,  _always,_  smiling. He's full of happiness and laughter. But right now, there's a… sternness. Seriousness.

"Don't let anyone give you a hard time. If they do, I'll come to your school and kick their ass, okay? You don't take shit from no one."

"We love you, David," Trowa whispers into my hair, his arms wrapping around my waist. Duo leans forward, hugging us too.

"You're  _ours_. Remember that, David."

They hold onto me for a while, and I let them. I soak up as much courage as I can, and when Duo leans back, he tilts his head a little, his eyes drifting to the side. My own follow them, and the wooden plaque Miss Cathy gave us comes into sight.

"Neither giants nor lions, David. They can never take you down."

I walk through the fire alone today, knowing that everything's going to be okay.

Trowa believes in me.


	19. Silence

"You didn't miss much," Draco's saying, his eyes darting back and forth between the students passing us. I don't reply, as I'm not sure what to say. ' _Good for me?_ _' 'Wonderful?'_ He doesn't seem to mind my silence; in fact, since I've come back to class he's been determinedly ignoring any mention of my… thing that happened. It's been two weeks since  _then_  and Draco's determined to be my wall between our curious classmates and myself.

It's nice, in a strange way. It makes me feel… warm inside. Is that what having a friend means?

"One girl was hurt, but last I heard she left the hospital wing last week so it must not have been too bad."

Wait, someone was hurt? I reach out, lightly grabbing onto Draco's sleeve and tugging a little. He pauses mid-step, tilting his head back enough to see my questioning look.

"Oh, a troll got into the dungeons somehow. We think it's Peeves, but he's not admitting anything. It went into a girl's bathroom and someone was in there. She got out though, the troll ended up stuck trying to chase her out the door. The professors got rid of the troll and took her to the hospital wing."

Huh. I bite my lip a little, nodding to let him know I heard him.

"Did you get my plant?"

I nod, letting a small smile flick across my face.

"Good, I wasn't sure she would give it to you. You owe me, by the way," Draco notes, a frown forming on pale lips. "I went and talked to Professor McGonagall, since I know she talks to your dad a lot. I didn't want to talk to Weasley, and I don't think Professor Snape really likes you enough to deliver a plant."

"Mm," I hum, agreeing. I don't understand why the older man dislikes me, but it doesn't matter. It's not like Aunt, who didn't like me and let me know all the time. Professor Snape is more than happy to ignore me - like Uncle did – instead of having to deal with me.

"Anyway, you owe me because I don't like her. I only talked to her because I like  _you_. So you need to get me a Christmas present, understood?"

I stop walking, my vision wavering for a brief moment, the walls distorting as the words echo in a more feminine voice.

" _You need to get me a present, Tom!"_

"Are you okay?" Draco's asking me, concern lacing his voice. I shake my head, shrugging a bit and gripping onto his sleeve. He doesn't say anything, but his hand finds my sleeve and grabs back.

The comfort is nice. It keeps me here.

Class is easier to focus on, as we're practicing something the rest of my classmates spent the last week learning. Draco sits with me, helping me catch up with the others. I did the lessons at home, but it's not the same as learning it in class.

"So we're supposed to flick it to the left. Like this," he says, showing me with his wand. I mimic him, my hand jerking to the left as I do so. Draco shakes his head, his hand pushing mine back into place.

"Not so hard. That's a jab. All you need to move is your fingers. Your wrist and arm should stay in place. See?"

He flicks again, slower this time, and I watch how his thumb rolls down across the polished wood, the tip of his wand sliding towards the left as his other fingers extend to hold the handle. He repeats it a couple times, and I try it myself.

The wand falls out of my hand.

"Your fingers should still be holding it. All that you need to do is move your thumb down. Your other fingers will move on their own as the wand pushes against them. But your thumb is still holding the handle."

The third time I get it right, the tip flicking out to the left as the handle of my wand slides across my palm. I look up from my hands, a genuine smile crossing my lips. He nods, returning it with his own.

"Good. Now, start from the beginning and say the spell."

I move my wand back to the 'home' position - the spot where my wand and hand rest naturally when I hold it out straight, and lift it a bit, making a half-circle to the right before flicking left. I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.

And nothing happens.

I let my hand fall back to my side, biting my bottom lip in frustration.

"Don't worry about it. Just practice the movements."

I spend the rest of class silently twirling my wand, a tight feeling forming in my chest.

* * *

I sit on the sofa in front of the fireplace, waiting for Quatre to come pick me up from school. There's still ten minutes until he gets here, but it feels like there's hours and hours. Professor Flitwick is standing nearby, talking quietly to an older student. A roll of parchment is clutched in the small man's hand, and he keeps glancing over at the fire.

I think the scroll's for me. Or for Trowa, since if it was for me he'd give it to me, wouldn't he?

I feel  _agitated_  - Wufei taught me that word last week - and ready to leave. I don't want to be here, where the eyes and the questions linger right outside my reach, things I shouldn't notice but do.

_What happened?_

_Why did he lose it?_

_What a freak._

_Baby._

_That_ _'s the weird kid._

_Too good to stay in the dorms._

_Has to run home to his mummy each night._

_Bet he still wears nappies._

The fire flares a rich green, the soot swirling in a small twister as William appears in the fire, stepping out smoothly with only a faint trail of grey settling on the carpet behind him. He reaches out a hand, grabbing Quatre as he spins into focus, tripping slightly before getting his bearing.

"Logic says that should get easier the more I do it…" he mutters, brushing soot off of his clothes absently. William chuckles, patting his hair briefly. A small dust cloud forms around his hand, smearing his skin with the ashes.

"Mr. Weasley, Mr. Winner, may I have a moment of your time?" Professor Flitwick asks, waving farewell to the older kid before stepping towards the sofa I'm on. I don't waste any time sliding to my feet, the straps of my backpack rubbing against my shirt as the weight pulls it down.

"Certainly, Professor," William answers, shaking hands with the tiny man. Quatre raises his arm a little, letting me slide under and wrap my fingers in the loose material of his shirt. The scroll that Professor Flitwick is holding passes to William, who twirls it in his hand once, tilting his head in an unasked question.

"I would like you to pass that to young Mr. Barton's parents, and bring back a reply from them. You might want to stick around and explain any questions they might have. I believe it will make Mr. Barton's performance in classroom exercises more productive and enjoyable."

"Of course. Thank you, Professor," William assures, placing the scroll into a pocket. He turns to me, a smile on his face.

"Ready to go home?" he asks me.

I nod firmly, my fingers clenching tighter into Quatre's shirt.

The swirl of flames surrounds us as we move across the country, back to Quatre's apartment.

Duo says that Quatre's the only person who would have a fireplace in an  _apartment_  - I don't understand why that's so strange - but it makes it easier to get to and from school. Trowa doesn't have a fireplace, and Heero doesn't either. But Quatre's apartment doesn't look like a real apartment, like Trowa or Heero's.

It feels more like a house, in that it has an upstairs  _and_  a downstairs. Trowa's apartment has a downstairs, but it's not our apartment, it just has apartments in it. There's a basement where Trowa and Duo wash the clothes, but I've never been down there, and it's not part of the apartment either. Quatre has a washroom for clothes, and the kitchen is in a different room than the dining room. One of the rooms is his bedroom, one has a lot of boxes in it, and the last bedroom is pretending to be a library. His living room is really big, which is where the fireplace is. He has a mat in front of it now so we don't get ashes all over the carpet.

"Trowa's coming over here tonight for dinner, so we're going to wait for him. Would- Let's get you a snack," Quatre says, correcting himself. He's trying to not ask me if I want things, instead pretending like I already said yes. I don't like making choices, since I still don't feel comfy asking Quatre for things.

But he lets me help makes the snacks, which I really like.

We end up making celery and peanut butter, and we drink some juice. I finish all my celery by the time Trowa shows up, and by then Quatre's pelting the veggies at William, who's using his wand to make them bounce away from him. I just watch, fascinated and confused.

"Quat, stop attackin' people. It ain't healthy," Duo greets, kicking his shoes off and shoving them to the side. Trowa slides his off neatly, picking up the coat that Duo dropped and hanging it up next to the door along with his own. I leap from the sofa, diving through the flying veggies to latch onto his sweater. I bury my face into his side, breathing in his scent deeply. I relax completely for the first time since I left for school.

He doesn't say hello, or ask me how my day was. Instead, he slides his hand through my hair a couple times, brushing and smoothing it before burying his fingers into the strands, his nails lightly brushing the skin and rubbing a little. The small movements, the little gestures, mean ten times more to me than anything he could have said.

And this is why I don't think words are so important.  _Doing_ is much more real, much more honest. Words lie.

Words hurt.

"Here, David's professor gave me a letter today to pass on. He asked you to read it while I was present, which probably means he went overboard on details," William interrupts, handing over the scroll. Trowa doesn't remove his hand from my hair, taking it with his free hand and breaking the seal with his thumb. A flick of his wrist has the parchment unraveling, and he holds it up slowly, his eyes quickly moving across the page. He quickly snaps his hand up, the parchment following his movement before being snagged between two fingers, folding the paper and 'closing it' once again.

"Understandable. Can you explain what lessons this might entail?"

"I have no idea what it's about," William admits, and Trowa leads us over to one of the sofas, sitting down to the right as I climb up on the left, his hand sliding out of my hair to wrap around my shoulders. I rest my head against his chest, closing my eyes and listening to the steady  _thud-thud_  of his heart.

Trowa passes the parchment over to William, letting the older man read it. I listen to the crinkling of the parchment, the beating of Trowa's heart, and the sounds of Quatre keeping Duo entertained in the kitchen as William reads whatever's written on the parchment.

"Huh, I wasn't expecting that," he finally says, and I open my eyes at his words. He sets the parchment onto the sofa next to him, folding his fingers together and leaning back, his left leg rising to rest against his right knee.

"So… do you understand what is being asked?"

"I understand the question, but I don't understand what is different, and why it would require separate lessons outside of his normal schedule."

I have no clue what they're talking about, but it doesn't bother me. If Trowa wants me to know, he'll tell me. William doesn't seem to think the same thing though, as his eyes drop down to look at me.

"David, your professors think you should learn to cast magic silently."

I blink, unsure of why he's telling me this. What's so special about it? The way that William said it, I'd think it was some mysterious or special thing. It just sounds… weird.

Like me.

I slump down, my head falling into Trowa's lap. I bury my face against his thigh, relaxing as Trowa's hand starts running through my hair again, petting me and soothing my mind.

"Silent casting isn't normally taught until the sixth year curriculum; it's an advanced method usually reserved for when students have a solid concept of regular spellcasting established. Not everyone is capable of it, either. But with some of David's challenges they are hoping that it will be able to help him in the classroom. Professor Flitwick observed him in Charms today; he had the wand movement down perfectly but couldn't cast the spell due to his current desire to speak. This would bypass that need to have an incantation, instead drawing on the intent of the spell and voicing it internally."

"He wouldn't be required to speak when learning, then," Trowa confirms, a thoughtful note entering his voice. He taps lightly against my head, prompting me to turn and look up into the green eyes that taught me trust.

"Would you be interesting in learning that, David? It means you'll have some extra classes, and might have to stay later at school."

I hum lightly, voicing my own thoughtfulness. The painful feeling in my chest during class, having finally gotten the movements right thanks to Draco, but unable to show him how well he taught me… I wouldn't have to live through that.

I wouldn't have to be a bad student anymore.

I don't have to nod, or even give an answer. Trowa seems to have seen what I want, and he voices it for me.

"I believe…" he starts, his hand caressing the side of my face, "that it is a good idea. Please let the school know that I give my permission for the extra lessons."


	20. Friends

I sit on my bed, the blanket covering my legs as I hold my wand tightly, my attention focused solely on the tip as I bring it up in a half-circle before curling my thumb and flicking it to the left.

Just like in class, nothing happens.

I bite my lip, bringing my wand back to 'home' before trying again.

And once again, nothing happens.

I've been trying all week to get  _something_  to happen, but nothing has. I know I'm not supposed to practice at home - only at school - but I want it to work. Draco showed me how to do it, and now I want to be able to do it.

But my words are still missing, and I haven't started the new lessons yet. So instead of sleeping like I'm supposed to, I'm practicing. I have the movements down really well, even the flicking isn't hard anymore, but I still can't make anything happen.

When the door opens, I don't try to hide what I'm doing. Trying to hide it is a bad thing, and I won't be bad for Trowa.

Trowa pads across the floor, his footsteps silent and leaving only my frustrated breaths to be heard in the room. Then there's the squeak of the springs in the mattress as he sits next to me, an arm going around my shoulders as he swings his legs up to stretch across the length of the bed. I lean into him, feeling him shifting and moving to get comfortable. When he's lying down, his arm still pillowing my head, I roll into him, burying my face into his shoulder and breathing deeply.

My hand, still curled around my wand, is pressed between us.

He doesn't ask me what I'm doing, or why I'm doing it, instead just running his fingers through my hair and humming lightly. I feel my eyes starting to close, the weariness and exhaustion I've been trying to ignore all week coming back with his gentle movements. I nuzzle into him, a light hiss passing my lips as I realize that's what he's trying to do.

He's trying to make me sleep.

I've been afraid to sleep, afraid that Tom and Mylord will be waiting for me, ready to torture me with more things that I don't understand. I'm afraid that if I keep seeing them in my sleep another day like  _that_  one will happen; that I'll freak out in school again and make things blow up. That I might not be able to stop it and end up hurting someone.

That I might hurt Percy or Draco.

That I might hurt Trowa.

I keen, wriggling lightly to try and keep myself awake. I won't sleep, I won't.

Trowa just hums again, his fingers starting to rub circles against my skin, pressing and soothing the tenseness in my neck. I go limp, unable to fight him.

I don't remember sleeping, but I remember the sound of Trowa's heart. The slow breaths he takes as he pets me gently. How he rolls us so that he's lying on his back, his head on the pillow as I lay on top of him, his chest supporting me, and his arms not letting me fall.

I remember how safe I feel. I remember how much I love Trowa, and why I'm not going to give up.

Trowa and I are both up earlier than we normally are, and I get out stuff from the fridge for pancakes while Trowa showers. I can't turn on the stove until he's out, but I can mix everything together and have it ready to cook. Trowa's okay with me doing that much.

I still don't understand why he won't let me cook it. But he says I can't, so I don't.

I hear the front door open, and turning I see Duo kicking his shoes off to the side, his coat sliding to the floor on top of them and a bag dropping beside those. I can't help but think of a snake whenever Duo comes home; he sheds everything he can into one pile, in almost the same motion. It's strange, and I don't know how he does it, but I know it annoys Trowa.

"Hey kiddo!" he greets, smiling widely. I wave back, a little bit of pancake batter splattering on the counter from the spoon still held in my hand. Duo chuckles, striding into the kitchen and swiping a finger through the batter, sticking it into his mouth and grinning lightly.

"Tastes good! Is Tro' up yet?" he asks me, and I nod. Duo ruffles my hair, something I find rather annoying (not that I'll ever let him know that), and then pushes himself up to sit on the counter, the heels of his feet smacking the wooden cabinets under him. The rhythmic 'thud-thud-thud' is easy enough to block out as I make sure that the pancake mix is ready. I get down from my stool, folding it up and pushing it back to where it's supposed to go when I'm not using it. There's a small gap between the fridge and the counter that's big enough for it to go, and that's where Trowa keeps it for me.

"You're home early," Trowa says, coming into the kitchen. He's only wearing a towel, his hair still dripping water down his skin, and leans over to give Duo a brief kiss before looking into the pancake bowl. He doesn't say anything, but the quiet hum that leaves him lets me feel that he's happy with my choice.

He's happy that I made a choice without him, something that Nick's been wanting me to do for months now.

"Go take a shower, you smell," Trowa says to Duo, walking out of the kitchen and back towards his room. Duo grumbles, but pulls himself off the counter, opening one of the cupboards and grabbing his soaps. He grins at me, pulling me down a cup as well and setting it on the counter.

"Get yourself a drink."

* * *

Draco's waiting for me near the common room again. I'm not sure if he knows where it's at - they're supposed to be a secret, I think - but he's always waiting on the same staircase at the same time each day. So I think he kind of knows, but not enough to get him in trouble.

Or I hope not.

"Hey, ready for class?" he asks, taking my hand and pulling me after him. I nod once, even though he can't see it.

"Still not talking?"

I shake my head, and he glances back.

"That's okay. You don't need to. That's why I'm here, okay?"

I smile briefly, squeezing his hand.

I let Draco lead me to class, feeling lighter inside my chest. Draco doesn't have this class with me, but he still leads me there, and is waiting for me when it's over.

He does have Herbology with me today though, and he keeps up a steady stream of chatter as our hands get buried in dirt, caring for a set of strange flowers that make different noises depending on what they want. The bright purple flower in front of my face is hiccupping, which means that there's too much loose dirt around the roots, and so I'm trying to pack it better. Draco's is rasping funny, which means he's supposed to be watering it, but his hands are buried in the dirt too. I'm glaring at his hands, trying to figure out how to let him know what to do.

"Are you listening to me?"

I look up at him, frowning, then at his hands, letting my eyes move up to his flower. He looks at it too, frowning.

"It's gasping, isn't it? That means the dirt's too tight."

I shake my head, licking my lips a few times then looking back at his plant.

"Thirsty? I need to water it?"

I nod, wiggling my fingers and pulling my hands out again. They're covered in a loose layer of dirt, but it doesn't take long to clean that off as well. Wufei taught me how to do it without making a huge mess, and Draco looks impressed at how quickly I can do it. He waters the flower, and at the end of class Professor Sprout stops us on the way out the door.

"Mr. Barton, thank you for helping Mr. Malfoy with his plant. You have a good ear. Most of my first years wouldn't be able to tell the difference! Five points to both of your houses for showing good teamwork. Keep up the good work, boys."

I follow after Draco, a smile on my face. I have never won points for my house before, and it makes a weird tightness in my chest that despite making my eyes feel wet and my stomach twisty, feels warm and happy. It feels like when I make Trowa happy with me, so I'm happy too.

Draco's also smiling at me, much wider and showing more teeth, but it's like he's showing what's stuck inside me.

"Cool! You helped me get house points!"

I furrow my brow, pointing at myself.

"Yeah, you got some too, but thanks, either way."

I smile, nodding sharply. He drags me to lunch, forcing me to sit with my house while he goes to his own. I pick at my food, hearing the others whispering around me.

"That's the one that goes home all the time."

"Why doesn't he stay like everyone else?"

"Probably a mama's boy. Can't sleep without mummy there to tuck him in at night."

I duck my head lower, my hair falling on both sides of my face to hide it. But soon I hear another voice, a little louder than the others around me, and it's not me they're talking about. It sounds a little familiar too.

"Maybe if you weren't such a know-it-all you'd have friends!"

I'm not the only one turning to see what's going on, but when I do, I'm the only one getting off the bench, moving towards the scene without hesitation. As tears build in the girl's eyes, I clamp a hand on her shoulder, my eyes glaring furiously into the boy who dared insult her.

I can't stand bullies. Even if the bully is Percy's little brother.

He shrinks back at my look, but once I see his submission, I pull on her shoulder, urging her to come with me. She catches on, grabbing her bag while swiping her sleeve across her eyes, washing away the falling tears.

She follows close behind me as we leave lunch and wander out onto the grounds, away from the watchful eyes.

"Thank you, David."

I turn around, staring her in the eye. She's staring back, a frown forming on her face at my continued silence.

I pull out my small notebook and pen, something I haven't had to use in a while but always keep on me just in case, and scrawl out quickly what I wish I could tell her aloud.

_You're smart. That not bad. He's just a stupid bully._

"I know. It doesn't make it easier to hear though."

I nod, patting her shoulder lightly. I scribble on the notebook again, handing it to her after.

_Thanks for the gift._

"Of course! You're my friend. I'm happy you're back now."

I give her a smile, even though I don't think I'm her friend. Friends like each other, right?

I don't like her. She's useful though. And I don't like bullies, so if I have to pretend to be her friend to keep her safe from them, then I guess I'll have to pretend.

It'll be a game.


	21. Good Intentions

My new lessons aren't going very well. I can tell it's making everyone annoyed, especially since I haven't been able to talk again either. I kind of want to, but my voice ran away and I can't find it. Trowa's the only one who doesn't seem to mind, and it's comforting. We don't need words to talk to each other, our hands and soft noises say enough. He can rest a hand on my shoulder, pushing me a little, and I know he wants me to move the way he's pushing me. He'll smile and tap me on the nose if I'm starting to misbehave. He'll run his hands through my hair if I'm feeling stressed or overwhelmed, and he hums if he wants my attention.

Duo doesn't like it, and he tries to get me to say something every day. It's not working though, and it's annoying Trowa. I hear Duo yell about it at night, when I'm in my room and trying not to fall asleep. Though it's hearing Duo's angry words that lulls me to sleep, a familiar sound to me by now. If Duo's yelling, then he's here, and Trowa will not be sad in the morning. It's the quiet nights, the nights that I can't hear either of them, that make it hard to sleep. Those nights I end up sitting in the windowsill, my blanket wrapped around me as I watch the cars pass along the road below.

Quatre tries to get me to talk too. Every day he picks me up for school he tells me hello, and he does the same when he gets me from school after my lessons. He seems sadder each time I don't say hello back, instead giving him a small wave or a blank stare (depending on how my day's going), and I'm wondering how long it will take before he stops trying.

Wufei… I don't know if it upsets him. He comes over in the evenings sometimes, helping and learning to care for my plants I took from Herbology. He finds them fascinating, and since I broke all the pots for the plants we started together I want to teach him about the freaky plants to apologize for it. But after he helps me water and feed them, he reads stories to me. He has a lot of different books with different stories inside of them, and he will read to me until it's time for me to go to sleep. Trowa and Duo never bother us during this time, and I've come to look forward to hearing about the stories and worlds that Wufei has hidden away in the pages.

Draco really wants me to talk again too. But he's a lot whinier about it. He asks me every day if I'm talking yet, and every day I just shake my head to tell him no. He's getting sadder and sadder too, like my not being able to talk is  _his_ fault, or that my silence is hurting him. I don't understand why, since he doesn't have anything to do with it.

It's Tom's fault. It's MyLord's fault. It's not Draco's fault.

But like I had said, my lessons to learn to use my wand without talking aren't going well at all. I have spent each night over the last few weeks with Professor Flitwick, learning about intent and willpower, about how saying a spell helps us channel our intention along with the right wand movements. How very talented and powerful wizards don't need to do either, and he's trying to teach me these things. That it won't be easy, and it will be hard, and it will take a long time to learn, and that I shouldn't push or rush myself.

But I don't want to fall behind, to disappoint Trowa by failing to do what he believes I can. I don't want to be a failure, to be stupid. So I spend a lot of my time trying to understand what Professor Flitwick is trying to teach me. I mean, I get what he wants me to do. He wants me to speak the words inside of me so that the magic works like if I'd said it on the outside, but… I don't know how to do that. I try thinking the words very hard, but it doesn't do anything.

My feather remains where I first set it down, only the frustrated puffs of my breath stirring it lightly. Flitwick pats me gently on the shoulder, giving me an encouraging smile.

"Don't worry, Mr. Barton, things like this take time."

I nod for what feels like the millionth time. He's been saying this over and over again, but it isn't helping. When the fireplace bursts into brilliant green flames, two figures step out. But instead of it being William and Quatre - as it has been since the day I started school - it is Charlie and Wufei.

I can't help but stare. I've never seen them come through before.

"So it literally moves through different fireplaces, not just a direct path between point A and B?" Wufei asks Charlie, his voice in that tone that has Duo calling him "Sensei." Charlie nods, his hands gesturing as he speaks. It reminds me of Duo, because he uses his hands a lot when he talks.

"Think of it like this: trains have many stops between the one you are getting on at and the one you're getting off. The Floo Network is the same thing, so you have to make sure you don't get off too early, or miss your stop and go too far. It's why you have to enunciate clearly, or else the Floo Network doesn't know which stop you really want, and it'll aim to get you as close as possible."

"Ah," Wufei responds, but he doesn't look like he really understands. Charlie chuckles, probably noticing the same thing I am.

Professor Flitwick greets them, shaking hands with Charlie and bowing politely to Wufei, who bows back. I set my wand down, frowning at the feather that still hasn't moved for me. Wufei comes to kneel next to me, looking between me and the feather.

"So what are you trying to do with the feather?" he asks me, and Professor Flitwick answers for me.

"Levitate it. It's one of the first spells we teach the students to demonstrate the importance of wand movement, pronunciation, and results. It also provides them a source of entertainment that is harmless when used outside the classroom."

Wufei nods, and then smiles at me softly.

"Can I see you try?" he asks, and I shake my head with a frown.

"Just once. Then we can go home," Wufei encourages, and I pout, bringing my wand up again, thinking very loudly in my head,  _Wingardium Leviosa._ I move my wand in the precise motion, the movements no longer a problem for me.

Nothing happens. Which has been the result each time I've tried. I snarl at the feather in anger.

"David," Wufei says gently, his fingers touching my cheek and turning my face to look at him. "Remember the present you gave Duo? With the phone?"

I nod, remembering blowing up the broken cell phone for Duo. Wufei smiles knowingly.

"What did you do to make that happen? You made it burst into flames on your own will. What was going through your head when that happened?"

I close my eyes, thinking back. I remember really  _wanting_  the phone to blow up, and concentrating super-hard. My eyes fly open, and I stare at Wufei with a wide-eyed look. He gestures at the feather again.

"From what I understand the two are very similar. How badly do you  _want_  the feather to float up? You need to want it with your mind, heart, and soul. With every fiber of your being."

I raise my wand, and instead of thinking the words of the spell, I think of what I want it to do. I want it to go up into the sky, to float towards the ceiling like the other kids made their own feathers do. I don't want it on the desk, I don't want it to stay there.

I move my wand, and I feel a surge of… something rush down my arm, gathering in my wand. It flows out, and I can  _feel_ it.

The feather floats off the table, hovering in the air before dropping back down, the power vanishing in the wake of my surprise.

"Good job, Mr. Barton!" Professor Flitwick cheers, his voice going very squeaky. I smile brightly at Wufei, who ruffles my hair and gives me a proud smile.

"Good job, indeed."

* * *

Wufei and Charlie don't bring me back to Quatre's house, like we normally go. Instead, it's an empty living room I've never seen before.

"This is my house," Charlie tells me, seeing my eyes searching the room. "Quatre's out of town, so we'll be picking you up until he comes back."

I nod, remembering Trowa saying something like that to me. But I had forgotten, and I flush in embarrassment.

The ride over to Trowa's house - my house too, I guess - takes longer than normal, and I'm nearly vibrating in my seat by the time Wufei pulls into the parking space, stopping the car and turning it off. I don't waste a second, my seatbelt flying off and my door opening as I rush out and into the building. I ignore Wufei calling for me, anxious to see Trowa.

The door seems to open on its own - I think I might have done that - and Trowa looks up from where he's standing in the kitchen, a pile of vegetables in front of him.

"Trowa!" I call out, my voice a little raspy from not using it. His eyes widen, before a soft smile graces his face.

"Yes, David?" he asks, catching me in mid-leap as I hug him.

"I did it," I babble, a bright grin on my face. "I was tryin' to make the feather float an' it wasn' workin' an' I was gettin' real mad, an' 'Fei came t'get me an' he wanted t'see me do it, but I couldn' then he 'minded me 'bout Duo an' th'phone an' so I tried 'gain an' it worked! I floated it with no words!"

The smile that spreads across Trowa's face as he listens to me tell him makes me feel even warmer inside, and I feel like I'm glowing. Looking up into Trowa's eyes, I realize I  _am_  glowing, but just a little.

"Good boy," he tells me sincerely, and that's when Wufei stumbles into the house, panting.

"Holy hell, child, what—" he looks up, seeing me and Trowa, and he flushes lightly.

"Sorry, he was running as soon as I had the car stopped…" Wufei trails off, his face twisting in disbelief. "David, are you  _glowing_?"

"Oh, my little sister did that as a baby sometimes," Charlie says, coming in after Wufei - much slower than he did, and looking much more amused - and closing the door. "I'd give her candy or toys and she would glow in happiness. I think my little brother Ron did it too. It's normal."

I turn and bury my face in Trowa's shoulder, unable to stop smiling. I feel so happy, so less… like a problem. Trowa and Duo did a lot to get me into school, helping Teacher Lady (I mean, Professor McGonagall) and William bend the rules so I didn't have to live at the school like the other kids. If I can't even be a good student, what was the point in all their trying?

Now I can be a real student. I can stop being a bad boy.

I can be good again.


	22. Cathy

With Wufei and Draco's help, I am now caught up in school. I can do the spells they're asking me to do in class, both with and without words. Wufei wants me to keep practicing without words, just in case I can't talk.

I still have problems with casting spells in Professor McGonagall's class though. It's not like Charms, where I want something to happen and I make it happen. It's… I'm making one thing into something else. And it doesn't make sense to me. It doesn't make sense why I can't just go grab a needle instead of making a match turn into one. Why would I find a beetle when I want a button?

I also have another problem in school now, and she won't stop following me around. It's weird, since it's not like how Draco follows me. He walks right next to me, and talks to me, and touches me a lot with his hands.

 _She_  just follows along behind me, not close enough to look like she's with me, and never says a word. Just… watches me instead. It makes me feel weird, and I don't know what to do about her.

Quatre's still gone, and Wufei and Charlie are coming to pick me up tonight. I'm sitting in the main room of my group's living area, a pile of matches on the table and no needle in sight. I poke my wand at the match set right in front of me, and really, really wish it would turn into a needle. But it doesn't.

I jump when I see Wufei sit down next to me, as I didn't hear him come through the fireplace. Normally, he and Charlie are talking when they come through, Wufei trying to get as much information as he can out of Percy's older brother.

"Still no luck?" he asks, and I shake my head.

"Nothing. It's stupid."

Wufei frowns a little, but doesn't say anything else. He just picks up my bag, and I grab the pile of matches and set them back down next to the fireplace where I took them from. When we get through to Charlie's house, Duo's waiting on the sofa, his leg tapping up and down impatiently.

"I don't see why I couldn't go. I wanna go into a fire and come out somewhere else. That'd be sweet, but 'No, Duo, you don't need to find more ways to cause chaos—' Oh, hey kiddo!"

I smile, running up to give him a hug before crawling on his lap, letting my head rest against his shoulder. I feel him smooth a hand through my hair, fingers twisting the ends of the strands thoughtfully.

"Your hair just keeps growing, dun'it?" he muses, and it's at that point that Wufei comes stumbling through the fireplace, coughing.

"I will  _never_  get used to that," he grumbles, stepping aside quickly as Charlie steps out behind him.

"You're getting better! I didn't see you picking yourself up off the floor that time."

The dark look Wufei gives Charlie has me giggling, burying my face again into Duo's shoulder. He's laughing too, his arms looping under my legs and keeping me against him as he stands from the sofa.

"Well, ready to go?"

I look up in confusion, but he's not looking at me. Wufei nods, turning and beginning to say goodbye to Charlie, who waves them away.

"Go, I already know." The grin on his face makes me realize that they all know something that I don't.

I shouldn't, but it makes me upset that I don't know what they do. They're adults; they're allowed to keep secrets from me.

Yet I still feel the burn of a sad anger in my stomach. I let my eyes fall to the ground, my chin resting on Duo's shoulder as I think about it.

We don't go home. Instead, Wufei's pulling up into the parking lot of a very, very large building. There're a lot of different signs on the outside, with different things on each one. They look like the signs at the grocery store that Trowa likes to go to, and it makes me wonder if there's a lot of different grocery stores inside the building.

Duo carries me again, this time into the large building. The noise is startling; it feels like I've stepped into the 'Great Hall' at school. I scrunch my eyes shut, pressing my face into the warm fabric of Duo's hooded pullover.

"They said the food court, right?"

"Yes. Trowa might be running late," Duo replies, shifting his grip on me and bumping me up higher on his side. His shoulder's now too far down for me to hide my face in, and I'm forced to look around me.

There are no stores selling groceries here. There are stores that have faceless people in the windows, bright articles of clothing covering their white skin. There're other stores that have a lot of toys piled in the windows, and other stores with lots and lots of books. I can smell a lot of different things, some of them making my stomach let out sounds and my mouth water. There are so many things to look at, so much noise, and it's really warm in here. Really, really warm.

I keen softly, my grip tightening on Duo. He looks up at me, a soft smile on his face.

"It's a shopping mall. Come on, this way, my minions!"

Duo takes the lead, Wufei following behind as Duo points to different things and tells me about them. I don't really listen, all of my attention focusing on trying to keep track of everyone and everything around me. It's too much though, and I must have made some kind of sound because Duo's pausing, looking at me again.

"It's okay, kiddo. I'm not going to let anyone do shit to you here, 'kay?"

"Maybe we shouldn't have picked the food court," Wufei says from behind us, and Duo tilts his head back to look at him.

"Shoot the guys a text and have them meet us over at the Book Palace."

The sound dies down a lot as we step into a bookstore, and my grip on Duo's hair - which I don't remember grabbing at all - loosens, my curiousity overriding the overwhelming feeling that took hold of me. I let my arms fall to rest around his neck instead of in his hair, and he shifts me again so that we're both more comfortable. It's not long after that I can see Heero and Relena coming into the store, and I tug on Duo's hair again, pointing.

"Hey, 'bout time!" Duo teases, and Heero raises an eyebrow.

"I was unaware of the location change," Heero says, and Duo smirks.

"I thought you could read my mind," Duo mocks, and Heero just snorts.

"No, that would be Quatre."

Duo laughs before glancing around them.

"Hey, any news on how far Tro's out?"

"If he doesn't hit any traffic, he should be here in another ten, fifteen minutes," Relena answers, fingering the hem of her jacket. She's wearing a dark purple hat, all of her hair hidden under it and a large pair of sunglasses hiding her eyes. She looks really funny.

"Well, tell him we didn't eat dinner," Duo tells her, and then taps my nose. I wrinkle it, narrowing my eyes at him.

"We might as well plan out how we want to do this," Wufei says after a lull in conversation.

"Heero and I will start as one group," Relena says. "You can either join us or wait here with Duo."

"We'll switch people out as we need to so that everyone's covered," Duo adds in. I look between them all, frowning.

What's going on?

"I want to be out of here in an hour, tops," Duo continues, pulling out his phone and checking the time. "I don't care if we're not done, I'm leaving."

"You'd think you'd be more excited about this," Wufei teases lightly, "since it's your holiday."

I feel Duo's arm tighten around me, and his voice is cold as he bites out, "It's not  _my_  holiday."

"Isn't it a Christian holiday?" Relena asks, and Duo growls. I hiss, my fingers digging into Duo's braid again as he turns to look at her.

"I thought you were Catholic," Wufei adds, and I flinch as Duo's voice rises.

"It's not my holiday, damn it! It's a commercial holiday that promotes overspendin' and tryin' t'out-do your friends an' family by lavishin' gifts, promotin' empty promises of good-will an' hope, an' overindulgin' for a short time, 'fore everyone goes back t'bein' selfish pricks who don't give a shit 'bout anyone else 'gain f'another eleven months. Now, if we're done clarifiyin' that, can we fuckin' go spend our fuckin' money now?"

The others are silent, but it's broken when I fail to hold back a giggle. Duo relaxes then, his hand burying into my hair and smoothing through the strands.

"Happy fuckin' Christmas," he mutters, and I blink.

Christmas?

I've never had a Christmas before. I watched Dudders get to do Christmas, but I had to stay in my cubby and listen. It was like a birthday, only a lot worse and with a lot more food. I never looked forward to it like Dudders did. I'm not sure when it is, except that there's snow, so it must be in winter.

"Well, Heero, let's start shopping. Text us when Trowa arrives?" Relena asks Duo, and he nods absently, his hand still smoothing through my hair. Wufei follows along behind them, glancing back once at Duo before turning around and falling into line. Duo lets out a long breath, a deep chuckle coming after it. It doesn't sound like a happy one though, and I lift my head off of his shoulder to look at him in confusion.

"I hate shopping malls, kiddo. But the guys insisted on celebrating. So, here we are?"

I smile a little, shrugging one shoulder.

"I never did a Christmas before."

He looks at me without saying a word, before nodding.

"Well, then it's good we're present shopping then, right?"

"When is it?" I ask, and…  _something_  flashes in Duo's eyes before he grins at me.

"December 25th. I don't know how much we're going to celebrate it at our house, but some people go all out an' shit, with trees an' lights and ribbons an' creepy statues on their lawn. I'll take you for a drive an' we'll go look at some of them if you want."

"See what?" I hear Trowa ask from behind us, and we both turn to look. I feel happy when I see Trowa, but there's someone holding onto his arm, and I feel my blood run cold.

"Hey, Cathy," Duo greets, and I wonder if I'm not the only one feeling cold.

"Hello, Duo," she responds quietly, her eyes never leaving mine. I feel myself tensing, my teeth baring as I let out a long hiss at her.

She's. Touching.  _My_. Trowa.

"Oi," Duo's voice says quietly in my ear, "she's okay, David."

"David, stop that." Trowa's words have my lips closing, cutting the sound off, but my glare doesn't lessen. Trowa pulls away from the woman - Cathy - and steps towards me. My hands reach out automatically, and I'm passed over quickly. Duo steps back as I latch onto my Trowa.

I growl a little as I catch sight of Cathy again. Trowa runs his hand down my back, a gentle hum running through his body and into mine. I relax against my own will, slumping into his body and staring blankly at the length of his neck.

"Cathy, this is David. David, this is my… sister. Cathy Bloom. She's coming to spend Christmas with us."

I nod, understanding, though I still don't like it.

Trowa's  _mine_.

"Hello David, I've heard so much about you. I'm glad to finally meet you," she says to me, and I wrinkle my nose a little. I don't care.

"We have forty minutes, let's finish shopping and get out of here," Duo breaks in, his eyes meeting Trowa's. They look at each other for a bit, no words being said, before Duo's eyes flick to me and Trowa gives a nod.

I think I'm supposed to be having fun finding presents, but it's the opposite. I do find something for Wufei, Heero, Quatre, and Relena with Duo's help, and with Trowa's help I find something for Duo.

I can't find anything for Trowa.

I do find a present for Draco as well, and Duo's snickers aren't helping the blush go away. But I don't put it back.

On the way home Trowa gets take-out, and Cathy sits in the front seat with Trowa while Duo and I sit in the back of the car, me still glaring at Cathy. Duo seems highly amused by this, but it's not funny.

Trowa's mine. Not hers. She doesn't belong here.

I go to put my presents away in my bedroom, Duo promising to help me wrap them up later. I neatly put them away, throwing a blanket over them to keep them out of sight. After that, I crawl under my bed and curl up in a ball, shaking horribly.

I don't want her to stay here. I don't want to share Trowa with her.

He's mine!


	23. Chapter 23

I lean into Trowa, my head resting on his shoulder as we watch the telly. It's Duo's night to pick what we watch, so there's a lot of explosions and screaming. It's also a cartoon, though I don't know what it's called. When Trowa gets to pick the movie there's a lot of animals in it. I don't like picking movies, because I don't know any.

Cathy picks girly movies. I don't like them. Actually, it all comes down to the fact that I don't like  _her_. She's trying to steal Trowa away from me, and I don't like it. In the morning, she tries to make my breakfast, but I won't eat it. She also keeps trying to touch me and I don't like that either. Trowa will get mad if I try to bite her, though. So I don't. But it's tempting, really.

Duo doesn't like her either. He never says anything, but it shows in how  _nice_  he is to her. I can feel it in his words, in his actions, and he often comes and picks me up, holding me when he doesn't want to deal with her anymore.

I can feel Trowa's upset about it - sometimes I hear Duo yelling at Trowa about it - and I wish I could like her, if only to make him happy. But if I do like her, she will win. And she'll make Trowa get rid of me so that she can take my place. I won't let her do that. Trowa is  _mine_.

* * *

Today's the last day of school, with 'the holidays' giving me time off. A lot of the other students are going home, too, and they are excited about it. I'm not looking forward to it. School is a place where I don't have to see Cathy. Now, I'll have to be around her all day as well as all night. Draco's been quiet today and I think it's because of my bad mood. I can't bring myself to care though, instead just twitching my wand absently at the matches that still refuse to become needles no matter how hard I try. Then Draco slides over a package, and it's enough to draw my attention away from the fruitless task and focus on my blond… friend?

"I… Happy Christmas," Draco says softly, and there's a light flush on his face. I stare at him for several long moments, the red on his face deepening the longer I do. I finally let a real smile light up my face, the first one I've been able to give in weeks. Something seems to loosen in Draco, and all the tenseness he's been holding fades away, a smile crossing his face too.

At least, it does until two shadows hover over us. Two of his housemates stand there, their eyes making something inside of me raise my guard, my hand tightening over my wand instinctively.

"Malfoy. What are you doing with  _him_  again?"

"I didn't think my personal affairs were any of your concern," Draco replies, his voice cool. The other boy crinkles his nose, glancing at me before opening his mouth.

"When you hang out with trash like  _him_ ," he starts, the way he gestures at me making me bare my teeth instinctively, "it affects our House's reputation."

"I didn't know hanging out with one of the smartest First Years was giving Slytherin a poor reputation," Draco says with mock surprise. The flush that crosses the other boys' faces makes me relax again, but not by much. I'm no longer snarling visibly though, my lips closing again.

"You know exactly what I mean, Malfoy!" the first boy snaps, losing his temper. "You following the pampered cry-baby around like a love-sick puppy is disgusting. You'll only make yourself look bad if you keep doing it."

Draco laughs, though it's not the same laugh he often gives me. There's nothing happy or joyful about the sound, and it makes my throat tighten. The boys take a step back as well, nervousness showing on their faces.

"You dare question my taste in friends?" he sneers, and the way that warmth blossoms in my chest startles me. "You dare question my loyalty to our House? What is the defining trait of Slytherin? I am at least discrete in my opinions of others, but here you stand, accusing me in front of my friend, in a place where anyone can overhear. You couldn't wait until we were on the train, or out of sight of the other Houses. If anyone should be worried about ruining the reputation of Slytherin, it should be you two."

The hand reaches out and strikes Draco before I can notice, but the second strike never lands. The tightening coil in my chest reaches a breaking point, and before I understand what is happening, the boy who hit Draco is screaming, curling on the ground and clutching his bleeding face.

"What is going on here?!" McGonagall shouts, rushing over. Draco is wrapping his arms around me, pulling me back against him as I snarl viciously at the boy on the ground. I see the billowing robes of Snape rushing from the castle, his expression a mask of fury.

I find my face buried in Draco's robes as the shouting increases around me, his words low and soothing in my ear as he strokes a hand over my hair.

"It's okay. It's reversible, they can fix it. You won't get in trouble."

His words confuse me, and I twist my head to get a glimpse. Where the boy's teeth were there are now bloody fragments, shards of teeth slipping from his mouth and between his fingers as he continues to wail. The other boy is backing away from us, his eyes staring at me in the same way my aunt used to after something weird happened.

Fear. Disgust. Like I'm a freak.

* * *

They will be able to heal the boy - Blaise Zabini, I learn, is who slapped Draco - and he is sent off to the infirmary to get his teeth fixed. I'm heading to McGonagall's office, Snape and Draco following along behind us at a fast pace. My stomach is queasy, my hands sweating badly.

I hurt someone. I'm going to be in so much trouble.

When she opens the door to her office, I tense, unwilling to step ahead and let her leave my line of sight. I think she knows this though, because she enters first, and only then do I walk in after, never taking my eyes off her. I'm less worried about not being able to see Professor Snape - he's a man, and men aren't like women - but they both stay off to the side, Draco's hands shaking a little as he clenches them into fists. I'm not sure if he's scared or very upset with me. I didn't get to accept his present from earlier. I don't know why the thought makes me feel ill. I don't want Draco to be mad at me, and that feeling is strange too.

"What happened, David?" McGonagall asks me, and I open my mouth to speak.

No sound comes out.

She closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose before sighing and turning to look at Draco.

"Mr. Malfoy, could you explain to me what happened?"

So Draco tells her how the boys came up and started bothering us. About how Zabini hit him, and that's when I showed how much of a freak I am and blew his teeth up.

"It was only after Zabini struck you that David did this?"

"Yes, ma'am," Draco insists, his eyes looking over at me. His face is very pale, the look not a good one with his colouring. I drop my gaze to the floor.

"You are dismissed, Mr. Malfoy. Will you be remaining, Professor Snape?" she asks, even as Draco gives me one last look and slips out the door. The man nods, twining his arms together across his chest and taking a seat in one of the nearby chairs.

"I wish to see this through until the end."

The fireplace flares a dark green, interrupting whatever her response is. Flitwick's head floats in the fireplace.

"Minerva, have you seen— Oh, there he is! Mr. Barton, your father is asking for you. I have Mr. Weasley here in my office. Do you know how much longer you will need him?"

"Actually, Filius, can you send Bill through? I was about to ask him to join me."

"Oh dear. Has something happened—"

"Not now."

The small man nods, and his face leaves the fireplace. A moment later, the flames flare brightly as William steps through, his face pinched into a worried gaze.

"Professors, what—"

"There was an… incident, less than a half hour ago," Professor McGonagall starts, and I look down again in shame. My eyes prickle with tears, the thought of how upset Trowa will be with me coming back into my mind.

It will be all that Cathy needs to convince him I'm no good, and that he needs to get rid of me, and then she'll take him home.

"David, breathe," William coaxes, his hand resting on my chest. I take in a sharp breath, the sound loud and harsh in my own ears. I stuff my fist into my mouth, biting down hard to muffle the sound of the cries that want to come out. The sharp, bitter taste of blood coats my tongue and it's enough to ground me again. William reaches out to soothe me, but I back up, snarling around my hand. He raises his hands, backing up a little.

"Do you want to see your father?"

I keen, the sound warping around the barrier of my fist, but William nods in understanding.

"Can you wait two minutes? I'll get what information I need to tell your dad, and then we can go. I know you need him right now, but I need to know what happened as well. Do you understand?"

I drop my gaze, biting down harder on my hand. I see his fingers clench, but he doesn't reach for me.

"Please don't bite yourself. It doesn't help anyone."

I don't remove my hand, and he sighs, pushing himself back into a standing position and looking over at the two other adults.

"You have two minutes. I really don't want to see what happens when I break a promise to David."

* * *

My fist is still in my mouth when I come through the fireplace, and the first thing I see is the pacing form of Trowa, his body turning towards us even as I come running out of the flames. He wastes no time in reaching me, his hands sliding under my arms and pulling me up and into his chest. I bite down harder on my hand, the aching pain deepening. I have been swallowing blood, and it churns in my stomach, but I can't unclench my teeth from my skin. I'm afraid to.

"David Daniel Barton, take your hand out of your mouth," Trowa tells me flatly, and without any hesitation I open my jaws, feeling the slide of my own flesh against my teeth as I do so. I pull my hand out, and I can finally see why I've been drinking my own blood. There is a perfect, deep imprint of my teeth reflected in my skin, the pink of muscles barely able to be seen under the swell of blood that is already filling in the space my teeth were.

"I'll get the med kit," I hear Duo say from behind us, but I ignore it as I look up at Trowa fearfully.

Is he mad at me?

"Breathe, David," he tells me gently, stroking my hair. "It's okay. It's over. There's nothing to worry about anymore."

But his lips don't move. I don't hear any words in my ears, but I hear them in my heart, in my body. It's in the way he touches me, the way his eyes flicker over my face, the way he cradles me close and rests a hand against my chest, his fingers pressing gently if I don't breathe deeply enough for him.

For the first time since Cathy arrived, I feel reassured that Trowa still loves me. That he won't get rid of me. That I'm not in the way.

It feels like everything will be okay again. All that has to happen now is Cathy going home. But that won't be until after Christmas.

* * *

It's as Duo's wrapping my hand that I hear that Heero went to go visit Quatre. I don't know why, but Trowa isn't happy about it. I'm not sure I want to ask either, because Trowa hasn't been happy since Cathy came. I feel like it's my fault. Maybe if I pretend to like Cathy more, Trowa will be less upset. His touches and hums reassure me that he still loves me, but I still feel like I'm the reason he's not happy.

I'm usually the reason things aren't good around here. If I could be a normal boy, if I didn't have so many problems, then there wouldn't  _be_  so many problems. I've never said this though, because I'm afraid to. I don't want to tell them, because what if they don't know, and then they think about it and decide I'm right? Then they'll get rid of me, and things will be better for them.

Cathy's waiting for us when we come home, and her eyes grow wide as they catch sight of my bandages.

"Oh goodness, what happened?!" she asks, and I turn my face away from her, dismissing her.

"There was an accident at school," Trowa says quietly. William told him what happened, and he hasn't said anything about it since. I'm probably in trouble, because I hurt the boy. Like I hurt Duo. Like I hurt Heero.

Like I hurt everyone.

I press my face into Trowa's neck, keening softly as the feelings become too much to bear. He rubs at my back absently, burying his face in my hair and pressing a gentle kiss.

"We won't be joining you for tonight's movie. Please, feel free to watch whatever you want," he tells her, before walking past her and going to my bedroom. He closes the door behind him, taking me over to the bed. I sit on the edge as he pulls out a set of pyjamas and clean underwear. He helps me out of my school clothes, letting them fall to the floor. He strips me completely naked before he starts putting on my night clothes.

It's not weird, like if Duo were to do it (he did once, but not like Trowa is), it's soothing. Comforting. It's as he's buttoning my shirt that the first sob breaks free from my throat, and he catches my hand before I can try to bite down on it again.

"Let it out, David. You need to cry."

Once again, this isn't said with his mouth. This is said with the gentle set of his eyes, the way his thumb rubs the back of my injured hand, and the way he climbs onto the bed, taking me into his arms and cradling me close. The way he presses my face into his chest, running his fingers through my now shoulder-length hair and humming a low note in his throat as he pulls the blankets over us.

And so I do. I start to cry, the fear, pain, confusion, and terror that has plagued me since Draco pulled the present out slipping from my lips in wails and broken cries. He holds me the entire time, never trying to quiet me, even as I grow loud and hysterical. A couple times a knock on the door has me quieting, but he calls out for them to leave us be, and I start up again as soon as he strokes another hand down my back, or rubs that spot on the back of my neck that makes me feel like cooked spaghetti noodles.

Trowa loves me. Even as I'm letting out my pain in the most primal way I know how, I am sure of this fact.

Trowa loves me.

And I love Trowa.


	24. Stage 3

“Heero, glad you could make it,” Quatre greeted him, opening the door to the small home and letting him in. Heero set down his bag, his nose wrinkling at the faint smell that permeated the air. After a lifetime of smelling it, he still could never grow used to the scent of blood. He let his eyes roam over Quatre, checking for injuries. The blond man chuckled, shaking his head.

“Oh, I’m quite unharmed,” he said, amusement in his voice that didn’t reflect on his face. That was when Heero noticed what had been making him edgy since he had received the vid call from Quatre three days ago. There was no warmth in his eyes. They were cold flints of ice, ready to cut anyone who dared to rile his temper. Heero wasn’t able to assess what had set off the blond’s temper in the first place, but if the blood wasn’t Quatre’s, then—

“Whose blood is it?” Heero asked, and Quatre gestured to the small cupboard under the stairs.

“Take a look yourself. Would you like a drink? I believe there’s still some liquor, juice, or tea,” Quatre offered, and Heero waited until he walked out of the entryway and into the kitchen before stepping over to the small, wooden door. The smell was stronger in there, and Heero took a steadying breath before lifting the latch and sliding it to the side, pulling the door open. A sickening mixture of decay, blood, and urine wafted into the air, and Heero narrowed his eyes, recognizing the woman curled up in the small space.

Harry’s aunt, Petunia Evans, formerly Dursley.

He ignored the churning in his stomach, years of training clamping down on his senses and stopping him from retching. He left the door open as he moved quickly into the kitchen, determined to find out what had happened. Last he had known, Quatre had gone to visit his nephew, and this was nowhere near Egypt.

“Things got out of hand,” Quatre answered before Heero could even begin to question him. He was sitting at the pristine table, the surface shimmering and reflecting the light of the ceiling lamp. He had two cups of tea in front of him, one much darker than the other. Heero picked up one, sitting down and taking a sip. It was bitter and watery, and he grimaced as he set it back down on the table. Quatre picked the other one up, slowly drinking it.

“I meant to just check up on her, remind her that she would suffer with the burden of what she had done for the rest of her life, but she upset me. It’s her fault she’s dead. It’s _her fault_.”

Heero reached out, clasping a hand to Quatre’s shoulder and gripping him tightly as he rose to his feet.

“Calm down. What’s done is done. Why did you call me here?”

“I need help getting rid of any evidence. I’ve been cleaning, but… I’m not exactly functioning at full capacity right now. And if any of this gets discovered, let alone our involvement, they will take David away. I might have slipped up and lost my temper, but he doesn’t deserve the backlash.”

Heero frowned, peering closely at Quatre.

“Is that the truth? Or is that an excuse?”

“An excuse, Heero. Honestly, I don’t know why I called you. Maybe I needed a second opinion. Maybe I needed you to tell me that I fucked up, that I don’t deserve to get away with murder, that this should no longer be a problem, that you can get the damn visions to go away!”

Heero didn’t respond, knowing that anything he said right now would only aggravate Quatre further. Instead, he helped Quatre get to his feet and led him past the still-open cupboard, pushing him down onto the tacky sofa, pulling the afghan off of the back and draping it over him.

“Sleep, I will take care of the body.”

* * *

 

By the time Quatre woke up, Heero had not only moved the body out of the closet but had dug out a space behind the house to put the remains and had Petunia Evans wrapped in sheets and lying by the kitchen door. Quatre gave the body a kick, moving it out of his way so that he could lean against the open door and watch as Heero worked.

“I’m going to buy this house,” Quatre told him, knowing that his words, though soft, were heard by Heero. “Petunia’s earned herself a rather bad reputation among her neighbours. It won’t be hard to make it appear that she left on ‘vacation’ and skipped town, and I will be taking care of the house in her stead, on her dime. I’ll remodel the backyard. I think a stone patio area would go well back here. Right over that hole, in fact. If we work hard enough, we can be back home in time for Christmas. Doesn’t that sound nice?”

Heero didn’t look up, pushing the shovel deeper into the earth. Quatre kept talking, knowing that Heero was hanging onto his every word.

“It’ll probably start a trend in the neighbourhood. They all seem very competitive to have the most superiour copy of their neighbour’s house. All of them look the same, yet they’re trying to one-up each other. So strange. Is this normal for suburban life? I wouldn’t know, never having lived it. Would you like some tea?”

Heero set the shovel aside and Quatre picked up the body, cradling the stiff, hunched corpse in his arms as he walked towards Heero, still talking.

“I never really made tea before this week, but there was plenty in the cabinet and I figured I’d give it a try. It’s not that good. I can’t tell if it’s the brand of tea or my poor tea-making skills. Probably both.”

He dropped the body into the hole, watching as it hit the ground and rolled a little with a sense of satisfaction.

“She can never hurt him again, Heero. She will _never_ be able to. I stopped her.”

“I know.”

“I killed her.”

“I know.”

“I wanted to.”

“I know.”

“There’s something wrong with me.”

“I know.”

They both fell silent, the night wind the only sound to be heard. Finally, Heero stepped forward, his shoes crunching the frozen grass below his feet with each step, before he wrapped his arms around Quatre and pulled him to his chest. Quatre didn’t react, though he did ask, “What are you doing?”

“I have heard this helps. It is a gesture of comfort, one that Duo is fond of using.”

“Oh. Okay. It’s a hug.”

“Yes.”

“Why are you hugging me?”

“Because you looked like Duo does before he asks for one.”

* * *

 

True to Quatre’s prediction, they had the back patio area built by the end of the week. Curious neighbours had asked about Petunia Evans, but Heero had used Quatre’s cover story with her having left on vacation and hired them to take care of the home in her stead. Quatre had taken care of the legalities and paper trail, and by the time they left the house there was no evidence that Petunia Evans, formerly Dursley, had met a tragic fate in that home.

Quatre was returning to his normal temperament, which relieved Heero greatly. When he dropped Quatre off at his apartment, Heero took the time to send a message to Trowa before pulling away from the curb and heading back to his own residence. He wanted nothing more than to put this week out of his mind and never revisit it again.

It had taken a couple of days to get rid of the smell in the closet where Petunia Evan’s corpse had been stored, and the other evidence he had found contained within was not pleasant. By the time it looked like a normal storage closet again, all traces of human life removed, Heero could understand Quatre’s anger at the woman. Could understand David’s erratic, unusual behaviour.

The house would stand vacant for several years, Quatre had told him, before it was decided that the property was truly abandoned and put back on the market, Quatre working the solicitations due to being the ‘caretaker’ of the property in Petunia’s stead. Heero was just glad to wash his hands of the entire incident. He showered and went to bed, ready for a new day. From this point, Trowa could handle Quatre. Heero was done.


End file.
